A fresh start could be on the cards for the derelict house in Jubilee Crescent, Somerset West – a property that has long been a community eyesore.

The national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) has indicated it intends to dispose of the property should no other state department lay claim to it.

In a written response to an enquiry following recent complaints and a renewed call for action to rid the community of the problem building DPWI said: “Should no interest be received from other state departments for its use, the property will be offered for disposal via public auction, on which the successful tenderer will be responsible for the property going forward.”

DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette has reported on the property on various occasions, including in October 2017, when the City of Cape Town confirmed it had begun the process to declare it a problem building. In February 2019, the Problem Building Unit formally did so and issued a contravention notice to the DPWI, the registered owner.

Wayne Dyason, spokesperson for municipal Law Enforcement, confirmed the process was concluded in 2023 and the contravention notice no longer applied. “The DPWI had responded to the notice by committing to maintain the property and placing 24-hour security on site.”

A resident turned to the newspaper in frustration, lamenting a more-than-a-decade-long state of disrepair. He claimed he had complained more than once and logged the matter on the City’s website, but to no avail. Residents still had to pay full rates while the eyesore persisted, he said.

If costs can be incurred in posting a permanent police guard at the property for a number of years, why can’t basic upkeep be paid for, the resident asked. “Can the grass be cut or perhaps the graffiti on the walls be painted over?”

In its written response, the DPWI confirmed security would remain on site to prevent unlawful occupation, and it will continue to cut and clear overgrowth while pursuing the open tender.

No renovation or demolition is planned as the department’s “intended process” must be followed and finalised.

The DPWI said it cannot comment on whether the property may be transferred to another department, as the process was not yet final. The next step rests with its Disposal Unit.