The City of Cape Town says the price has been paid – literally – for doing unauthorised building work but it seems to be missing the point.
Residents’ criticism of the building work and the City’s response to it stems from the contravention of by-laws.
David Ayres has pointed out that the building could simply not just have been built without anyone being unaware of “illegal” additions being made.
Somewhere down the line this would have and should have been picked up. Yet it was not.
The alternative is that the City conveniently overlooked it.
Whatever the case might be, residents feel the city is not following due process and that a fine is equivalent to a mere slap on the wrist for developers with deep pockets.
