I fully relate to this letter (October 12). There is also another article recently published which speaks to how the City of Cape Town (CoCT) simply ignores you when you complain too much. Then there was an article on how useless the office of the City Ombudsman is and is just a waste of the ratepayers’ money.
I have several (probably 1000 by now) complaints registered with the City since 2016 but it has all amounted to nothing.
I am not a serial complainer. My complaints all relate to one neighbour who simply does what “they” want to. The City comes out, does its checks and the complaint/s just vanish into thin air.
The complaints are as follows: • After renovations done by the owners of the West Beach Clinic buildings, I have extractors making a loud blowing noise into my property. It is so loud I cannot sleep at night. I cannot work/study from home due to the noise and most mornings I wake with headaches. My backyard sounds like an airport at night.
• West Beach Clinic installed split unit air cons right next to my pool area. These compressors make so much noise, one cannot have a decent conversation at the pool area.
•The owners of the property allowed Telkom to illegally erect a cellphone tower which stands 2 to 3 metres from my back wall, 2 metres from my neighbour’s back wall. There are no installation or building plans (as required by the law) for this tower. When I queried this with the City, they took Telkom to court, only to settle out of court. My (or the neighbours’) concerns and well-being were totally ignored. Yes, this is by the City that is (apparently) working for me. When my curtains are open at night, I stare into a massive long pole with a bright red light at the top. No enjoying the stars or a bright blue summer sky. There are still no approved plans yet Swish properties get a monthly rental for space the tower and equipment takes up! Well done CoCT!
• The West Beach Clinic installed a generator the size of 2 SUVs right next to the cellphone mast. It stands about 5 – 10 metres away from my back wall. Plus-minus 19 metres from my main bedroom window. During load shedding I have to sleep in my spare bedroom due to the noise and vibrations. Most days, when I arrive home, the top of my house is filled with generator smoke and fumes if the windows were open and that generator had run. Then I have to sleep on my couch because the upstairs area of my house is simply unusable. Someone from the City once upon a time came out to look when my neighbour hounded them because he had a 2-year-old breathing in diesel smoke when she played, when she slept, when she simply breathed. The City that works for me did … nothing. Surely a generator of that size is too close to a resident/s? The exhaust of the generator also sits too low! But of course it’s too much to ask the award-winning City to do its job.
• The West Beach Clinic/building owners installed a camera on their roof. The camera points directly into my bedroom window. Surely this is against the Popi Act, by-laws, laws? I informed the City, but again … (insert your own conclusion here).
I had a gentleman from the City’s health department measure the noise levels four or five times over a period six to seven years and he said it is not illegal, but it is a “nuisance” by City standards. Not his standards, but City standards. He measured and handed two or three files over to the City’s legal department.
The state prosecutor visited my house with this health official and arranged a meeting with Swish Properties management and they agreed on certain things but nothing changed.
The situation is now worse rather than better. Swish, West Beach Clinic and the management of the clinic group all respond with one standard line when I try to engage them – “we are in line with the City’s rules”.
The prosecutor now ignores my pleas for help. I was able to reach his management who was very sympathetic and asked me for information which I supplied. He now also ignores my emails.
The City Ombudsman … I am reminded of a recent article on what a toothless tiger this department of the City is so I will not bore you any further.
I’m sure you already have a general picture of this City that apparently works for us.They are no different.
* Fernando Smit, West Beach.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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