It is not clear why, despite the last occupant having moved out 18 months ago, the Public Works Department claims it was only informed three weeks ago that the property was vacant (in the same week that the Knysna-Plett Herald sent them an urgent enquiry regarding the property, accompanied by photographs.)
According to Thami Mchunu, director: Media and Stakeholders Relations for Public Works, the property is reserved on their database for use by the Department of Justice for residential purposes. It had previously been repaired (in 2009) at a cost of R582 923 for the former chief state prosecutor, Gavin Capes and his family, who have since moved to Bloemfontein.
Not only neighbours, but also many first-time tourists to Knysna have to see more and more vagrants come and go to use the property as an open toilet and place to sleep. They also trash the place by making fires and ripping out all electrical wiring and copper fixtures, whilst rubbish and sewage is piling up, causing a serious health and fire risk. Police are at times called in to break up fights on the property and residents are wary of such neglected yards and buildings which offer an ideal hiding place for unsavoury characters.
"This has all taken place over 18 months and we have made over 20 telephone calls to the municipal offices. This has been fruitless and we have been informed that it is not their problem, that it is Public Works' problem," say Peter and Mart Nänni, owners of Guinea Fowl Lodge situated just above the derelict property. "Do I understand correctly that this municipality feels it has no concern with a national asset within its boundaries as many hundreds of thousands of Rands were spent renovating the house before the previous chief state prosecutor, Mr Gavin Capes moved in? Our foreign guests walk past this property every day and our B&B looks down directly onto it, giving our tourists full view of what is going on down there. They experienced a lady defecating on the pavement and were appalled."
Knysna municipal manager, Lauren Waring says that the Building Control Inspectorate and Fire Department have visited the site. "The house is unoccupied and we acknowledge that this makes it a target for elements such as vagrants. However, it remains private property and the onus rests with the owner to safeguard the property. We have communicated with the National Department of Public Works who own the property and we have also requested the Eden District Municipality's Environmental Health Department to serve the appropriate summonses. Similar interventions such as the one we undertook with another problem property elsewhere in town, is also being considered. In the event the property owner fails to cut down the grass and shrubbery, the municipality will appoint a contractor and bill the owner accordingly."
Mchunu says the Department of Public Works is in the process of cleaning the property and posting a security officer at the premises. "The property will be handed back to National Department of Public Works to repair, and we will hand it over to another department interested, for housing purposes," said Mchunu.
The large estate combines four properties which are Erf 338, 460, 461 and 462.
"Four days after the Capes had left, we appealed to Animal Welfare to come and rescue two forlorn white Labradors who were apparently found tied to a tree," said Nänni.
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One of the many vagrants sleeping on the premises. (Photo: Peter Nänni/Guinea Fowl Lodge.)
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