The widescale problem of unequal and irregular-shaped sites in Extension 6 has led to a fight breaking out between adjacent neighbours over an allegedly encroaching wall that separates their respective premises.
The widescale problem of unequal and irregular-shaped sites in Extension 6 has led to a fight breaking out between adjacent neighbours over an allegedly encroaching wall that separates their respective premises.
Resident Lulama Mlatsha accuses her neighbour Nomathemba Kepe of encroaching onto her premises by building a perimeter brick wall that protrudes the boundary between the two premises.
She alleges that before the wall was built last September, Kepe had erected a fence in the same position, a matter which she reported to the then street committee. “At a meeting the street committee told her to move the fence back to where it’s supposed to be and she promised to comply but never did,” explained Mlatsha.
“We can’t erect our own perimeter fence or a gate because there’s no space due to her encroaching.”
Despite Mlatsha getting the municipality’s land surveyors and mayor Vumile Lwana to instruct Kepe to take the wall down, it still standing. Mlatsha said Kepe was also sent a letter by municipal officials telling her to remove the wall, "but nothing has happened yet”.
“I resorted to reporting the matter to the mayor in November, who after assessing the situation ordered her to do the same thing, to no avail.”
After Mlatsha reported to Lwana that no action had taken place he said the municipality would demolish the wall within a week’s time. When that did not happen Mlatsha went back to Lwana again and was told the wall can only be demolished through a lawyer’s involvement.
“He said the lawyers were closed and that the matter will be followed up in January when they re-open,” she explained. “The matter has now divided the neighbourhood as we no longer greet each other,” said Mlatsha.
Kepe denies having encroached on land beloning to her neighbours but confesses that she has encroached on the council’s land. She confirmed that municipal officials and Lwana had been to her house and ordered her to take down the wall.
"I’m not taking it down. Lwana must first fix the whole of Extension 6 before dealing with my wall because this whole area is a mess," she said. Kepe maintained that the wall is placed in its correct position. "As I was not here when he came, we went to the mayor’s office after his last year’s visit to my house but he didn’t avail himself claiming he was busy," she added.
Kepe accused the head of the Land and Housing Portfolio Committee councillor Zamuxolo Peter of being "hired by some people" to act against her following Peter’s visit to her house during which Peter ordered Kepe to take the wall down.
Lwana acknowledged that Kepe’s wall was indeed encroaching on her neighbour’s plot and should be taken down. "After seeing the situation for myseIf I asked the town planners to communicate to Kepe that she must take the wall down and build it in an appropriate position," he explained. "Peter should take the matter forward and (director of infrastructural services) Dabula Njilo must come to the party and remove the wall. We can’t tolerate this behaviour as it sows divisions among neighbours," he said.
Attempts to speak to Peter drew a blank as his phone was off.
