Durban — Msunduzi Municipality has been accused of ignoring several pleas for intervention by a Pietermaritzburg church that claimed its neighbour has built on its property illegally.
Reverend Vernon Hammond, a priest at St Alphege’s Anglican Church in Scottsville, has spoken of his frustration in getting the municipality to act over what the church believes to be a transgression of the city’s building by-laws.
Hammond claimed their neighbour had built student accommodation and had used the church’s wall without their consent.
He added that their insurer was now refusing to cover the costs for the pressure from the wall onto their building. The other concern was that the students living next door would pose a danger to church goers.
Hammond said that when they became aware of this, they had asked the municipality to intervene, but had no success.
“We have written to a number of officials but nothing has ever come out of it,” he said.
Hammond produced a raft of correspondence with officials in which he had appealed for action to be taken on the matter.
The exchanges demonstrate the church’s call for intervention on what it regards as an urgent matter.
“Dear Sir, please could you assist me in dealing with a building structure that has been built using the church boundary wall as part of the new building.
“The building next to the church on Caithness Terrace, Scottsville is used as student accommodation and they have built another cottage on their property but used the church boundary wall as part of the cottage.
“I have tried on numerous occasions to get hold of the owner of the house and he has not returned my calls. Please could you forward me the approved plans for this structure,” read the correspondence.
In the communique with city officials, the church appealed for swift action from the city indicating how the church’s building insurance cannot be renewed for the boundary wall as the insurer deems the building to be illegal.
When approached by the Sunday Tribune for comment, Msunduzi spokesperson Ntobeko Mkhize insisted that they had not been made aware of the tension in the neighbourhood over the building.
“We have noted the above matter and an inspection will be carried out by the relevant officials and the matter will be attended to in line with the town planning regulations,” she said.
However, the church said nothing had been done since the undertaking to investigate the matter, adding that the city officials appeared reluctant to act on the matter.
The correspondence indicated that the matter has been referred to Area Building Inspector, the city’s Law Enforcement Division and Legal Department without any success.
In the subsequent emails sent to city officials Hammond expressed further frustration at the apparent lack of action from the municipality.
“I am not sure where to go from here. It would seem that the owner of the property has no regard for you, us or the law.
“There has been no change at all. The structure is still up with students living in it. I am currently uninsured and may have to close the doors of the church until we are insured as this is part of our rules and regulations,” wrote Hammond.
Attempts to get comment from the neighbour were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
Sunday Tribune