Residents and the neighbourhood watch in Woodstock say they are fed-up with Prasa’s empty promises to demolish and remove a group of people occupying two derelict buildings in the area.
The buildings, based on Beach Road and Railway Street, have been occupied by the group for many years.
Rob Marshall, Secretary for U-Watch, says drug dealing and metal theft have increased significantly with police and law enforcement agencies doing regular raids there.
“Residents are reporting that they feel threatened when they drive to the dump because they are often approached aggressively by people looking for scrap-based at the building. Police have made huge efforts in attempts to clean up the buildings.”
In March this year, Prasa admitted that it is aware of the challenges faced at the buildings and committed to removing the people.
Responding to People’s Post’s questions at the time the rail service said the property has been advertised through a request for proposals (RFP) process.
Prasa also added that it was in the process of awarding a contract which is expected to take three months.
According to Prasa, the aim of the RFP to have the area developed will include the demolition of these buildings.
Prasa said its asset protection services would give this matter their “urgent and priority attention” in ensuring that the area is “cleared of vagrants and monitored” regularly (Prasa vows to clear out criminal elements wreaking havoc in dilapidated buildings in Woodstock, People’s Post, 21 March 2023).
Marshall says they have lost all confidence in Prasa to address the issue and says as residents they are left to pick up the pieces.
“There is an absolute lack of trust in anything that Prasa has to say. We really cannot trust any of the deadlines they have provided. For the last few years, they have been promising that the area would be cleaned up and that there would be commercial opportunities there. None of that has come to fruition.”
He is calling on Prasa management to sit down and engage with the residents on the way forward.
“Some people have decided that they don’t want to live in the area, so they move further towards the N1 and now there has been an increase in cable theft on that side.
“We would like for Prasa to be open and transparent with the community and offer a community engagement opportunity so that they can share the challenges that they are facing and just meet with the people face-to-face to explain how we can work together to try and solve these problems. We know Prasa doesn’t have any money, but together we might be able to come up with a solution,” explains Marshall.
Ian McMahon, Ward 115 councillor, says since his term started in 2020, there have been five separate fires reported in the buildings. “Due to the resident’s dump being across the road, residents have reported that “recyclers” jump onto their moving bakkies opposite this building to skarrel and throw off metal and items that they could sell prior to reaching the dump gates, so it is traumatising for someone to jump onto your moving trailer or bakkie.”
McMahon says since 2021, he has met with the management of Prasa on three separate occasions to discuss the problematic buildings.
“The feedback then and at a follow-up meeting was that Prasa is putting the site out for sale of which tenders were submitted and wanted to demolish the building. Neil Engelbrecht (from Prasa) hasn’t met with us, but I can’t say what his issues are with a) selling the site or b) demolishing the site.”
McMahon thanked police and all safety sectors for their commitment to keeping the area safe.
“Woodstock police and the safety sector have been doing “stirling” work and many operations and efforts on this site. It’s so appreciated. They found a basement manhole (they call the dungeon) on the site, that needs a ladder to get to, and found also a huge drug den inside. They conduct regular visits to this crime hotspot.”
According to Moseli Ntsiki, Acting Regional Manager: Prasa Cres Western Cape Region, demolitions will take place next month. “The process of demolishing these facilities is underway in the sense that the structures to be demolished were assessed and approved for demolition. The next process is to seek bids from the market. This process can be closed with the month of July. All demolitions are planned to be carried out in August.”
He adds: “Due to the need to follow statutory procurement processes, it was important to consider all potential problem buildings when seeking bids for demolition purposes to avoid doing the same exercise twice in the same financial year, which is not allowed. It was therefore important to consider all such buildings.”
Responding to questions as to why Prasa’s asset protection services has not removed the street people and put plans in place to monitor the buildings as earlier promised Ntsiki says: “The involvement of asset protection services is still in place. We are looking at proper facilities for the staff that will be protecting the assets after demolition has taken place. He says a clean-up of the area is scheduled for this month but could not provide a date.
