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Tuesday 1 March 2011
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City clamps down on backyard structures MELISSA LE ROUX
R
ESIDENTS of the Radnor Court flats and Horizon View in Ottery, who live in abject overcrowded conditions, have been ordered to break down the costly extensions they made to their homes in the hopes of easing their discomfort. Most families live cramped up, with as many as nine people sharing a tiny two-bedroomed flat. The residents claim that they did not disregard the law when they erected the structures. Jacqueline Francis, who has been living at the Radnor Court flats for 30 years, says she first approached the local housing office for permission to build an extension five years ago. She followed up this visit with “countless more” times, but got no response, she claims. “In 2006, I went to the housing office to ask for permission to build a structure. At the time my family wasn’t that big, but I still would have liked to expand for my kids to live comfortably. Up till today, I ha-
FORCIBLY REMOVED: The Francis family had to take their structure apart before it was destroyed by Law Enforcement. Photos: Melissa Le Roux
ven’t heard anything,” Francis finally took matters into her own hands and put up a muchneeded structure two weeks ago. It had barely gone up when Law Enforcement came knocking at her door, demanding that she tear down the R25 000, one-bedroom vibracrete structure. The officers said they had received a complaint from a neighbour and demanded that the structure be removed or they would remove it themselves, says Francis. After three visits from Law Enforcement, Francis’ family carefully took down the structure, that was built by contractors, before her family got a chance to move in. “I have a two-bedroomed house. I have an uncle who’s very sick and sleeps on the floor. There’s my son, with his two children and me and my husband with my other three children. I just wanted to make living a bit more comfortable for my children. “They kept on telling me that this is council property, but when I approached the housing office, they didn’t respond,” she says. After the removal of the structure, Francis says she approached the housing office once again. However, no one came by for an inspection. “There are many people around here who have structures but theirs haven’t been removed. I’m not against those who have wendy houses put up but why did they have to make me remove mine? “I’m just doing it for my children’s benefit. Day and night I cried because this happened – it’s for my children, no one else,” she says. A community worker, who wishes to remain anonymous, says most of the flats in the Ottery area are overcrowded and the structures are put up for their families to have a proper place to sleep. “The people must sleep in the dining room. Some even sleep in the kitchen. They have to make space and put up something in the yard,
otherwise where are they going to go?” she says. According to ward councillor George March, when the housing office is notified about structures being put up, they immediately look into the matter. “People need permission to put up structures on council property; they can evict you and you must follow the rules,” he says. He also adds that structures that have been up for years will not be broken down. Another resident, Farieda Rossouw, who has been living in her mother’s home for 38 years, put up a wooden structure three weeks ago. “In 2009, we applied for permission at the housing office and we have it on a disc to prove it. They told us that it would cost R50 for a permit of a year. “Two years have gone by, and we are still waiting. They can at least give a no or yes; but nothing.” She adds that after the structure was erected, Law Enforcement said they needed to remove the structure. “They were very rude to my mommy and she called me in a state of panic. What is really the problem? It’s not like we are damaging the property; we pay rent. “At least we tried to go through the proper procedures to do it right – so why can’t we have a bungalow put up? Isn’t it a health risk for a lot of people to stay in one house?” asks Rossouw. The family is in the process of dismantling their R18 000 structure piece-by-piece. “The housing office is trying to prevent people from building structures without permission,” explains March. When People’s Post visited the area, the reporter saw backyard structures on many properties. Resident Marina Lewis, said most people did not get permission. She is one of them. “I had mine put up a couple of years ago and no one told me to remove it. So now why are they telling
BIT BY BIT: The Rossouw family is taking apart their wendy house. them?” she says. Mayoral Committee Member for Housing, Shehaam Sims, said that if anybody puts up a structure on council-owned land without permission, it will be taken down, in line with City policy. “I’ve been watching this for a few months now. There are 41 500 structures in the City of Cape Town that have been put up without permission and have not been removed as the housing department was not aware of it,” she says. There is however good news for prospective backyard dwellers, says Sims. A new backyard dweller policy will come into effect on Friday and will enable people to apply for permission to build a structure on their property with fewer restrictions. “I have been pushing hard for the backyard dweller policy and it seems like I have been encouraging those who do not apply for permission, but I know that houses in some areas are bursting at the seams. Most houses are overcrowded and I am aware
that some residents do apply to their local housing offices but get no where because some officials are lethargic. “I have taken all of this into account and it will make applications for backyard structures much simpler.” Sims said residents needed to abide by the rules. “The house cannot be next to a servitude or boundary line and it can’t be too close to another structure as it would pose a fire hazard”. Director of the Hanover Park Backyard Dwellers’ Association, Ricardo Sedres, says residents should delay erecting structures until the new policy comes into play. “It is sad to see people’s structures, that they worked so hard for, being demolished. If given a warning, people should rather remove the structure themselves so that the materials can be used again.”
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