Entrepreneurs are making huge profits by buying RDP houses, bulldozing them to the ground and building blocks of flats towering above surrounding houses and backyard shacks in Dunoon township near Milnerton.The safety of the multi-storey apartment blocks dominating the township skyline is being questioned by residents.
Some RDP houses are being extended into a series of single room flats off a central corridor with shared ablutions. In some cases a single storey is added on the top to create more rooms.One entrepreneur has set a new trend. After purchasing an RDP house, he demolished it and is building a four-storey block of flats to rent. It is the first four-storey apartment block in the township.The demand for accommodation has also led to RDP house prices increasing. “Within a year the price of RDP houses jumped from R120,000 to R200,000,” Makeleni said.
Mayco member for Transport and Urban Development Authority Brett Herron said: “All properties situated within the City of Cape Town’s jurisdiction are governed by the newly approved Municipal Planning By-law and the Development Management Scheme. Therefore, all property owners are now required to adhere to the National Building Regulations for all buildings except shelters.”He said the City’s building inspectors routinely visited building sites and investigated complaints submitted by the community about illegal building work or land use contraventions.
“We encourage the community to report suspected illegal building work or land use contraventions to their local Development Management office for further investigation. Where contraventions have been found, the City will take the necessary legal action,” said Herron.
