The City of Cape Town’s Problem Building Unit has more than doubled the number of cases closed annually.
The unit has further been expanded and continues to address the rising number if complaints received about buildings which have been left abandoned or suffer from immense damage, reports Cape {town} Etc.
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In the last financial year, spanning from July 2023 to June 2024, the specialised Law Enforecement unit closed 425 cases.
The number of cases closed in the previous financial year was 207, indicating a tremendous increase in case closure.
The Problem Building Unit has had 27 new problem buildings declared and currently has an average of 291 active cases which are in various investigative stages. Furthermore, the unit has initiated legal proceedings against 55 property owners.
The Unit enforces the Problem Property By-law 2020 to identify and react to complaints as well as to manage dilapidated and potential problem buildings.
The Unit consists of 13 staff members and the by-law they follow mandates the issuing of a compliance notice and then potentially instituting a tariff which is charged to the owner’s municipal account. Legal action is threatened as a last resort, to compel the owner to take action.
‘These buildings can become dangerous as they are used as dump sites and are health and fire hazards. Then there is the environmental impact and the associated costs to contend with,’ said JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.
Further problems include properties which have been abandoned by owners, deceased estates and properties which are subject to illegal occupation.
‘The unit is making great strides in addressing the problem. I encourage residents to report potential problem buildings to Law Enforcement, the sooner it gets reported, the sooner our staff can act to limit the impact on the neighbourhood,’ commented Smith.
The Unit may only follow procedure or take action once an official complaint has been lodged against the owner of a potential problem building.
Problem Building Complaints can be reported to the City’s 24-hour emergency control room on 021 480 7700.
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Picture: City of Cape Town