Illegal building work is continuing at a Da Gama Street house in Brooklyn despite a stop-work order from the municipality last month, say residents who are calling on the authorities to act.
Mayoral committee for spatial planning and environment Eddie Andrews said it served the order on Friday June 14 because the owner was “unlawfully undertaking alterations” and additions without approved building plans.
“The City has no record of building plans submitted in connection with unlawful structures at this site,” he said.
The owner could still achieve compliance by submitting plans to the City and paying a fine, he said, adding that the matter had been referred to the courts for further legal action.
But residents have called for the alterations to be demolished and for the construction machinery and equipment to be confiscated.
Mr Andrews said any submitted building plans should comply with zoning regulations, and the alterations would have to be demolished if they did not get approval.
“Demolition orders can only be issued by the court,” he added.
“There is currently no provision in the relevant Municipal Planning By-law for the City to confiscate building materials in cases of unlawful construction. The City is reliant on external court processes to obtain compliance.”
A Brooklyn resident, who did not want to be named fearing victimisation, said the work at the property went on beyond 6pm and on weekends.
“They even work when it’s raining. I don’t understand the logic.”
Brooklyn, Ysterplaat, Rugby Ratepayers’ Association (BYRRA) executive member Fay Vogel said the building had gone up against her boundary wall and posed a potential fire risk to her home. It was, she added, another example of the many illegal buildings that strained the overcrowded suburb’s buckling infrastructure.
“I fear that this illegal building with its many rooms in the backyard will further deteriorate our already overcrowded community. The infrastructure is busy collapsing all over Brooklyn,” she said, adding that sewage overflows had resulted from that.
Squeezing more people into the suburb would also aggravate already bad traffic congestion, she said.
“Where are the owners’ tenants going to park? Our road is not even 2 metres wide. Cars park on either side of the road, and no other cars can access the road.”
Another resident, Cheryl Castle, said the community was not against residents renovating and investing in their properties, but developers wanting to profit by squeezing more people into the area would worsen overcrowding and social ills.
The contractor and co-owner of the property, Jacob Steenkamp, said the residents reporting his building to the City were “in for a game of cat and mouse” as he claimed that they too were building illegally and right up against boundary walls.
“Come with me, I’ll take you to a few homes around here. These people are building illegally, yet they are the ones complaining,” he told Tabletalk.
Work at the property had stopped, and the noise and foot traffic there were due to workers securing it ahead of the stormy weather and to prevent possible break-ins, he said.
However, the residents showed Tabletalk pictures and date-stamped videos of building work being done, they claimed, in the past few weeks, after the stop-work order was served.
Mr Steenkamp said he and his partners wanted to “beautify the place” and create three by-law-compliant dwellings for rent.
“Why did the residents not come to me and speak about this issue? They are my neighbours,” he said
Mr Steenkamp said he had appointed an architect to submit the building plans to the City by no later than Friday July 19.
