Rampant lawlessness, violence, the hijacking of buildings, drug dealing and other criminal behaviour are common occurrences in Central.
The inner-city suburb is home to some of Nelson Mandela Bay’s iconic landmarks but some buildings — mostly privately owned — have been hijacked.
And these decaying buildings in Ward 5 are synonymous with the social ills plaguing the area.
The one-time tourism magnet has become a filthy, rundown, unsafe place to live or work. The area is drowning in filth, with illegal dumping sites mushrooming almost daily.
Most properties in Central are for sale and when vacant they are quickly taken over by criminals, vagrants and foreigners.
This has happened at almost 100 properties in Central and it was the reason for a Thursday raid by the police, metro police, Nelson Mandela Bay municipality and a private security company.
There were three evictions late last year and two on Thursday.
But the raid has renewed calls for stricter implementation of the municipality’s problem buildings bylaw.
The problem buildings bylaw was published in the Government Gazette on January 27 2020 and is meant to enable authorised officials to identify, control and manage dilapidated and problem buildings and land in the metro.
Instead, the buildings continue to rot, causing an increase in crime — primarily because they are privately owned.
The onus is on these owners to ensure they take care of the upkeep of their properties, even if not in use.
But as Ward 5 councillor Terri Stander told The Herald, often these owners can’t be traced. However, when some are, they have to be asked to take responsibility.
While the raid should be applauded, more action should be taken as the problem highlights the demise of the inner city.
The municipality must take a hardline approach against rogue property owners and enforce the problem buildings bylaw.
Making an example of just a few of the errant property owners could spur others into action.
