New bylaw to help rid Bay of problem-buildings scourge

A PROBLEM-buildings bylaw, which would give the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality more control over derelict buildings in the city, is being developed.

Acting city manager Johann Mettler told councillors yesterday he had instructed officials to make the proposed bylaw public for residents to comment on.

The news comes as the police battle to rid some of the problem buildings of criminals and vagrants, saying the municipality had to take action against errant building owners who left their properties unsecured.

The Herald’s sister publication Weekend Post reported last month that some of the rundown buildings in Central were used as hideouts for criminals, prostitutes and drug dealers.

At a municipal public accounts committee meeting yesterday, ANC councillor Marian Harning said the municipality had to force landlords to their buildings.

“The problem buildings are an eyesore,” she said.

“We really need to look at expropriating them.

“It’s time to stop pussy-footing around this issue.”

DA councillor Retief Odendaal agreed, but said expropriation should be the last resort.

ANC councillor Loyiso Stemele highlighted some dilapidated buildings in Strand Street, in the Port Elizabeth CBD, as a major problem.

DA councillor Morne Steyn, whose ward spans the Central area where the majority of problem buildings are situated, said: “The issue is absentee landlords, not moving vagrants out.

“Our current bylaw is not sufficient to take action against the building owners . . . We have no

fix bullets to fire with this problem.”

The current bylaw states that the municipality may issue owners with notices to clean, repair, renovate, repaint, alter, close, demolish or secure the properties.

If they fail to do so, the municipality can fix the building and charge the repairs to the owner.

The bylaw states that the municipality can order any person to vacate a problem building, and the penalties for contravening the bylaw are either a fine or imprisonment.

Councillor Balu Naran (ANC) suggested an incentive to entice property owners to fix their buildings – “maybe reduce rates or something”.

Mettler assured councillors the bylaw was being dealt with.

“I’ve given an instruction that the public participation process must start afresh,” he said.