The removal of metal gates blocking access to Ebor Lane in Wynberg last month has been hailed as a step in the right direction to address the slum-like conditions which have become prevalent in the Central Business District (CBD) of Wynberg.
On Tuesday 28 June at about 11:00, the gates were removed by the City of Cape Town’s Roads and Storm Water Department.
According to HP Ras, senior inspector, Wynberg Law Enforcement, the gates were illegally placed there by occupants living in the lane for the purpose of concealing criminal activities, such as drug dealing, drug use and prostitution, from law enforcement.
Ras says the gates were removed “to stop or reduce to some degree the illegal activities and so that perpetrators could be prosecuted for their criminal doings”.
Emile Langenhoven, councillor for Ward 62, says although he is unsure of how long the gates have been there, they were already in place when his predecessor, Liz Brunette, took him on a tour of the ward.
On Monday 13 June, a meeting, arranged by Sub-council 20 chair Xanthea Limberg, was held in Wynberg with stakeholders to discuss the area’s problem buildings.
Under scrutiny were the buildings at number 4 and 6 Ebor Road, and 263 Main Road Wynberg. All three properties were visited on the day.
According to Langenhoven, these buildings were registered as problem buildings with the City as far back as 2013.
“On the last walkabout in Ebor Road, there was noticeably a brand-new lock placed on the gate, blocking our access to Ebor Lane. It was clear that someone had hastily purchased a lock and placed it on the gate to prevent City officials and law enforcement agencies from entering,” he says.
Describing his most recent visit to the Main Road building, Langenhoven says a mixture of odours, ranging from urine, faeces, dagga, food, hung in the air inside the building.
“There were distinct indications that children lived in this environment, with dolls, prams and other toys present. Electrical wiring hung loosely all over and I couldn’t help having visions of an electrical short causing a fire that would ravage the building and raze it to the ground,” he says.
Langenhoven adds that the Ebor Road building was no better. He says makeshift partitions created dark, airless rooms that made breathing difficult and visibility nearly impossible without a torch.
“On the various walkabouts, I am always struck by the poverty, the indignity and the unhygienic circumstances that people have been subjected to and were expected to pay for in one or other way. Drug and alcohol abuse have imprisoned residents into poverty, locking them into a cycle of despair,” says Langenhoven.
Also present at the site visit was Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith.
According to media reports, Smith had told the property owner at the meeting that unless he found a way to fix the buildings between Ebor and Main roads, the City would take him to court for debt collection and problem-building infringements.
Apparently, the owner had fallen behind on his municipal rates.
Langenhoven says he is aware of a case that has been initiated by the City’s Corporate Finance Department against the owner.
He says the history of this issue goes back to 2013 when notices were first issued to the property owner for his derelict problem buildings.
“There was a point where a deal was made between the City and (the property owner) to go into business rescue and that his debt of R5m be reduced to R1,3m. At that point, when the deal was made, the Problem Buildings Unit closed the case on (his) buildings and removed him from the top 10 problem buildings list under the assumption that reparations would be made through this deal.”
However, according to Langenhoven, the owner reneged on the deal. He says that is when the City initiated legal proceedings against him.
“To date, (the property owner) has accrued debt of approximately R3m. The case is still in process and I await more information about where it is in the process and how long it will take to be heard before the High Court. I am sure that many of the residents of Wynberg would like to see this chapter of Wynberg’s history closed,” says Langenhoven.
Wayne Dyason, spokesperson for Law Enforcement, confirms that the case was reopened due to the owner not upholding the agreement. He says the City’s Problem Building Unit has discussed the issue with Limberg and others to find a sustainable solution.
“Discussions are ongoing and the Problem Building Unit cannot pre-empt or speculate on the outcome of the discussions,” says Dyason.
