Wynberg’s Ebor Road is a place in the Central Business District (CBD) where most residents and landlords are confronted with nightmarish realities that continue to scare local investment as they watch potential investors run away.
A local property agent said this was her recent experience while taking out home seekers who were suddenly discouraged to invest in a nearby property the moment Ebor Road’s problem buildings, and its rippling deteriorating elements, become evident.
The anonymous agent, a Plumstead resident, witnessed these buildings being inhabited once again. Only this time, tents in Ebor Lane have sprung up like mushrooms.
“I have a mandate on a property for sale in the area and find it impossible to lure potential buyers to Ebor Road. As soon as they see the actual state of the area, they suddenly show nil interest,” she added.
These so-called Uli Heydt-buildings are stationed at number 8 and 10 Ebor Road, and 263 Main Road, Wynberg.
Ward 62 councillor Emile Langenhoven said these buildings were registered as problem buildings with the City as far back as 2013.
“All these properties were previously owned by the late Uli Heydt and all these properties were vested into trusts. The current situation of the properties is that the owners are seeking an eviction order through the High Court.”
Once an eviction order is served, the owners, together with the roads department, aim to go to the properties and conduct the eviction “with the assistance of law enforcement and the police”.
Once the eviction has taken place, he added, “the roads department will close up the lane that stretches from Ebor Road to York Road. Then, the owners will have construction companies on stand-by to brick up the buildings.”
Only when the properties are finally secured, may the owners go through the sale of the property.
“There is currently a developer who’s interested in the property and who wishes to purchase it.
“So, it feels like we are now very close to a resolution on the Ebor Road and 263 Main Rd properties saga,” Langenhoven said.
Over the years, concerted efforts by the City and various law enforcement agencies were not quite enough to secure lasting improvements to the properties.
A multi-agency integrated operation cracked down on the slums dating back to Friday 28 October in 2022.
This operation saw officials from the City’s electricity department recording and removing the illegal electricity and water connections (“Suspects try to flee as officers crack down on slum buildings in Wynberg”, People’s Post, 28 October).
The City’s Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith at the time confirmed that around 170 undocumented foreign nationals were detained.
He added that the Metro Police K9 unit also made positive detections for drugs “with several suspects being arrested”.
Earlier in July 2022, it was reported that “the removal of metal gates blocking access to Ebor Lane in Wynberg has been hailed as a step in the right direction to address the slum-like conditions…” The gates, that were illegally placed by occupants living in the lane, were removed by the City of Cape Town’s roads and storm water department (“Ebor Lane gates in Wynberg fall”, People’s Post, 19 July 2022).
According to Langenhoven’s Facebook page, a clean-up of Ebor Road was also conducted on 9 March last year. “With the assistance of the Solid Waste depot manager, EPWP (Expanded Public Works Programme) and City staff, the road was thoroughly cleaned. It almost looks… normal. My sincere gratitude to the City staff,” the post read.
Speaking about the latest developments regarding the Uli-Buildings, Langenhoven said this:
“This will see a huge impact on the landscape of Wynberg simply because Ebor Road has always been used as a drug or crime hideaway… This will unlock a lot of potential for Wynberg, reduce crime quite a bit and add value to the Main Road corridor and related developments.”
A media inquiry to the City of Cape Town was sent to confirm the recent developments of the Ebor and Main roads problem buildings. At the time of going to print, the City had not responded.
Attempts by People’s Post to reach the current owners of the buildings were also unsuccessful.
- Correction: It came to the People’s Post attention the ward councillor’s feedback in that the Ebor Road buildings are to be torn down following a successful eviction of any occupants, was misinterpreted. Instead, it was said these buildings are intended to be bricked up once evictions on the properties are completed.
