A major crime hotspot, health and safety hazard, and eyesore in Kouga has been removed after Kouga Municipality demolished a severely dilapidated structure in Arcadia, Humansdorp on March 22.
On May 24, 2022, the departments of Building Control, Health, Law Enforcement, Human Settlements and Land and Properties conducted a site inspection at a house on Erf 1566.
This followed the municipality receiving numerous complaints from residents about the state of the house and its growing negative impact on the community.
On May 25, 2022, a notice to vacate was issued to the illegal occupants and a final notice was issued on January 12 this year, but the occupants did not comply.
During the inspection it was found that there was no adequate water supply to the house and no ablution facilities as the existing bathroom was derelict.
The walls, floors and ceiling were in complete disrepair, rendering the structure unsafe for occupation.
The house was in an unhygienic condition and the cause of foul odours due to a lack of ventilation, light and proper housekeeping.
The Department of Environmental Health further stated, the house is “inhabitable, and therefore no one should be allowed to enter or even occupy the house for living purposes. This is a serious safety and health concern, as the house is dilapidated, and various health hazards exist.”
The occupants have since been provided with a plot with the necessary ablution facilities and standpipes for them to erect a structure that is fit for occupation.
