A triple tragedy that unfolded within a month at a family home with heritage significance in Somerset West is now seemingly at a point of no return.
First it was the floods that were the result of the Lourens River bursting its banks at Island Park, which prompted the resident to vacate her property. This resulted in vagrants swooping on the home, which they burgled and looted, and the final straw was a fire that engulfed the home last week and left behind nothing but ruin.
“Simply put, we feel the City of Cape Town was too slow in responding to the initial flood disaster,” said Lillian Albertyn, a community activist who spoke in her capacity as member of the Helderberg Community Care Forum.
She said soon after the flooding last month she received complaints about noise and banging during the night and day in the vicinity.
“On inspection of the property we found street people were busy vandalising and looting the property. While we were inside the house one street person hiding in the roof quickly jumped out and ran away. They had moved everything into one room so they could come back and steal the rest of this lady’s personal belongings.” But Albertyn’s pleas to the City via email was not responded to and just last Wednesday (5 July) a fire gutted whatever was left of the home.
Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for the City’s Fire and Rescue Services, confirmed that an emergency call was received just after 04:00 of a building alight in Voortrekker Street.
“Crews from Somerset and Strand responded to the incident with two fire engines, a water tanker and a rescue vehicle. On their arrival it was found to be an abandoned dwelling well alight. The fire was extinguished at 05:40 and no injuries were reported.”
The home is a council-owned property leased on agreement to a family many years ago, and after the passing of the original tenants the City had allowed the relatives to remain as tenants.
The City’s recreation and parks department confirmed the property belonged to the City and it had been occupied by a former employee who died 11 years ago.
“The City’s recreation and parks department will undertake an assessment of the damage, which includes engaging other City departments,” the City of Cape Town said in a statement. “The assessment will assist in establishing whether the site can be restored or will need to be demolished. Once the assessment results are available an engagement will take place internally regarding the future use of the site.”
The City didn’t elaborate on why there was no initial response for assistance after the floods.
“The City is in the process of engaging legal services to obtain a court interdict to protect the land from possible invasion,” it stated in response to fears from the community that the property will now be left to ruin and potentially become a problem building.
The resident has since been identified as Eileen Grobbelaar (59), who was emotional at the scene of her once sentimental home being reduced to ashes and empty walls. “When the floods occurred I managed to escape with my two dogs. I phoned a friend who arrived with a boat to rescue me. The house was such a mess due to the flood damage that I couldn’t move back in immediately, and just days later the break-ins started. I’ve lived here with my parents since 1980. I just have no words for what happened.”
She added that the community had really come to her assistance, for which she was immensely grateful, and wished to thank them.
“I’m living with a friend at the moment and I don’t know if it will be possible for me to return home. I’m actually scared to think what could happen to me if I return there.”
The City of Cape Town was asked whether the resident will receive any assistance from the City, to which it responded: “The resident is encouraged to register with the City’s Housing Needs Register to be considered for housing opportunities that become available. Beneficiaries of all City housing projects are allocated in accordance with the City’s Allocation Policy and Housing Needs Register to ensure opportunities are provided to qualifying applicants in a fair, transparent and equitable manner, and to prevent queue jumping.”
Resident of nearby Bridgewater suburb Norman Muller said this entire situation could have been prevented.
“The least the City could have assisted with is security after the floods,” he said. “It’s scandalous that vagrants get away scot–free with all these things. They’ve destroyed a life and continue as if nothing happened. This is a sad state of affairs.”
The property is now under surveillance from the local neighbourhood watch groups, although almost nothing of value remained.
