An undeveloped piece of land adjacent to William Nicol Drive, featured recently, is covered in illegally dumped waste and inhabited by vagrants. Terence Glen, who lives next door, has been burgled and the suspects gained access from the vacant plot. Concerned over safety, as well as hygiene and the unsightly mess, he has done all in his power to find the owner, who is rumoured to have moved to China.
The Chronicle asked City of Johannesburg spokesperson Thembelihle Radebe whether Glen’s proposal that the council clean and secure the property and issue the owner with the bill – and auction off the property when payment isn’t made – would be a feasible solution.
Radebe answered, “This is a very tricky one as it involves too many departments, but the problem is that it is private property where the city council cannot be involved. I have tried my luck sending it to the Department of Town Planning to see if they could trace the owner or guide us in this instance. I do not think going the way of billing or auction will give us any results at this stage.”
She added, “The Department of Town Planning could not assist with the tracing and could only be involved if the building was in a state of collapse. For now, they cannot be involved. Like I said, I can now ask the Department of Environmental Health to go check and clean, which will be a temporary solution.”
