Slumlords take over the capital city
E-toll payment scheme smoke and mirrors
SLUMLORDS have invaded the country ’ s capital, resulting in a growing number of dilapidated buildings occupied by alleged drug peddlers and sex workers.
Unoccupied properties, houses, flats and office blocks owned by both the Tshwane Metro municipality and private owners are getting snapped up at an alarming rate.
This is barely three months after the metro laid charges against individuals and companies accused of hijacking properties in Pretoria West and collecting rent.
Pretoria West, Marabastad, Gezina, Capital Park and even buildings in the CBD have been targeted.
DA ward councillor at the metro Elma Nel said the buildings are now harbouring a combination of squatters, drug peddlers and prostitutes.
“What is happening is that these people, when they see an open building, they occupy it. Most of these buildings are not in a condition to reside in, which is why they are vacant,” she said. “Now this poses a threat to everyone because of the activities happening within these buildings …”
Nel accused the Tshwane municipality of not having the political will to solve the problem.
But in an e-mail reply to Sowetan, Tshwane executive mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa ’ s spokesman Blessing Manale said: “The city is conducting a preliminary investigation to determine the scale of the problem with an intention to seek various courses of action and recourse which may include the repossession of the properties, institution of criminal charges and, where deemed legitimate and justified, the proper transfer of such properties to legitimate owners and potential beneficia- ries. We will be in a position to provide an update on the investigations by early August.”
Refilwe Moloi and James Durans, property owners in Gezina, said their nearby properties are losing value while the safety of their families was not guaranteed.
Slumlords have reportedly hijacked as many as 500 buildings, most of them in Pretoria West, including the former city council head office Munitoria.
Soutter House and Ben flats in Pretoria West have been run by slumlords for more than 12 years.
ANC Youth League Tshwane region leader Lesego Makhubela has called on the municipality to convert the properties into RDPs or low-cost houses. He has also urged occupants not to pay rent to help drive out the slumlords. THE Justice Project South Africa says any amendments to the road regulations under the Sanral Act to withhold car licence discs on the basis of outstanding e-tolls must first be published for public comment.
The JPSA also reiterated it would use such an opportunity to “argue against that preposterous idea as and when the opportunity arises ”.
JPSA national chairman Howard Dembovsky said the first meaningful clarity on the new etolls dispensation announced by Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa “exposed continued smoke and mirrors – again ”.
“Sadly ‚ Justice Project South Africa is not in the least bit surprised by the fact that the PR exercise announcing the so-called ‘ new e-tolls dispensation ’ and what has been published in the government gazette notices in question ‚ particularly in the tariff gazette ‚ whilst sort-of resembling one another ‚ don ’ t actually match one another,” Dembovsky said.
“Road users have once again been misled with respect to the tariff they will be expected to pay – with the repeatedly stated rate of 30c per kilometre again being used to mislead them.
“The fact is that those who are not registered with or choose not to register with Sanral and waive the protections afforded to them by the Consumer Protection Act, in the process will be expected to pay almost double the tariff if they don ’ t pay within seven days ‚ and three times that tariff if they don ’ t pay within 30 days from invoice.
“Furthermore ‚ the e-tolls system has not ‚ even by a long stretch of the imagination ‚ been uncomplicated by even a small degree as recommended by (Gauteng) premier David Makhura ’ s ‘ e-tolls review panel ’ and the collection methods remain expensive ‚ cumbersome and burdensome to everyone.”
Dembovsky added Sanral was still trying to “economically blackmail ” road users into registering with them and the interests of Sanral ’ s business partners had continued to be “firmly protected ...”. – RDM News Wire