Resident Terence Glen said the property had been standing empty before he moved in about three years ago. “When I first arrived I was maybe a bit naive because I thought we could get in touch with the owner and come to an arrangement, but the contact details were wrong.”
Through some investigation Glen found that the property was registered to a company owned by a Chinese national. “He is rumoured to have moved back to China,” he said. The property’s condition is completely unacceptable, Glen remarked. “It’s a disaster, it can’t be left like this.”
A group of vagrants have been living on the small plot and operating an informal recycling depot, leaving huge piles of discarded refuse scattered around. In addition, illegal dumpers have taken advantage, discarding garden refuse. Rats have also bred profusely and spread to Glen’s property next door. He said his terrier did its best to catch them, but they were almost as big as the dog. The vagrants also use the nearby stream for their ablutions, which they access through a large hole in the property’s wall.
Four months prior, Glen hired a contractor to clean up the property at his own expense. Within a very short time it was back to its messy state. “As long as these guys are living here there’s no point,” he said.
Glen was the victim of a burglary and it was found that the culprits had gained access from the vacant plot. “The guys living here either know who it was or it was them.” He added, “A new sign has been put up declaring the area a ‘crime hotspot’. Thank you, I’m sure that will strike terror in the hearts of the criminals operating out of this vacant stand.”
Glen said he was hopeful that the city council might be able to clean and secure the plot and bill the owner, and if the owner cannot be found, auction off the property to recover the costs.
The Chronicle has submitted a request to a City of Johannesburg spokesperson to investigate whether that would be a feasible solution.
