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- A rat plague that affects businesses in Belvedere Road, leaving Claremont residents desperate for either the owner of the property’s intervention or that of the City of Cape Town.
- The rats are a pesky symptom of a problematic open plot, 97 Belvedere Road.
A bunch of “naughty rats” are in reality a rat plague that affects businesses in Belvedere Road, leaving Claremont residents desperate for either the owner of the property’s intervention or that of the City of Cape Town, while hardworking community members endure the source of this infestation.
The rats are a pesky symptom of a problematic open plot, 97 Belvedere Road, where a business owner from across the road, Mandy Pott, guided People’s Post. The plot is used by homeless people as a camping spot, public toilet and dumping site.
“The last time the owners did anything with the property was to put up a green chain-link fence to try and keep the [homeless] out at the end of 2021,” Pott said.
She recently tried to contact the owner of the property as it was once again overrun with homeless, who had broken down part of the fence for access in early October last year. “By this time the [homeless] had erected tents with beds, using it as a public toilet in full view of passersby, including my clients and staff.”
Pott added that these waste pickers would leave their aftermath exactly as it was. “By this time the property was completely rat-infested. The smell and the flies were intolerable. When the wind blows it picks up rubbish and deposits it all over our property on the opposite side of the road.”
On 30 December, she related, the “cleansing department” arrived at the property “but they wouldn’t go onto the property because it was privately owned, so they left. Then the police arrived, took some pictures and put up a notice of warning.”
By early January Pott suffered the consequences of rats on her property.
“As a result, I started making contact with the councillor myself, again to ask for help. Her reply was that the issue had been reported to the City’s Problem Building Unit (PBU) and that’s the best she could do.”
According to Ward 58 councillor Katherine Christie, the PBU has issued a notice to tidy up, clear up and secure the property, and was in direct contact with the owners.
“According to City legislation, owners of properties that are neglected and cause security problems in the neighbourhood receive penalties charged to their municipal rates accounts.
“These increase every month until action is taken to secure the property. Should no action be taken, theoretically the penalty keeps growing until the City can claim the property to offset accumulated debt. The City then disposes of the property to someone who will steward it properly.”
The chair of the Claremont CPF Sub-forum 1 and 4, Penny Owens, attested to the tedium the property posed. “Neighbouring properties have had to contend with vermin, displays of various stages of nakedness by homeless folk, washing and carrying out their ablutions in full view of the public and a variety of anti-social, often criminal, behaviour.
“This is proving a concern to neighbouring businesses, residents and numerous security providers in the area.”
In her CPF capacity, Owens helped Pott by escalating the matter to Christie, entrusted the City to add the plot to the problem buildings list “and start the 10 step process late last year.”
In the meantime, Belvedere Road’s eyesore has become a fire hazard and is currently decorated with the scorched aftermath and ash of a fire that broke out on Wednesday 21 February. “The fire spread very quickly setting trees alight and, I believe, doing some damage to the College of Magic buildings,” Pott related. “The fire brigade was there for about an hour trying to extinguish the fire.”
The City’s Law Enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason confirmed that the property is being investigated by the PBU and acknowledged the “conditions are unhealthy/unsanitary, overgrown vegetation [with] dumping taking place”.
At this stage, Dyason said it is up to the owner to secure their property from illegal occupation, and to address any health or safety challenges posed by the property.
“The PBU has issued a notice of intent to declare it a Problem Property, in line with the provisions of the Problem Building By-law... That said, the PBU can effect a clean-up at the property once it has been declared a Problem Property, and bill the owner on their rates.”
People’s Post continues in attempts to reach the owner for comment.
