Just over six years ago the historical tree-lined suburb of Hillcrest, east of Pretoria, was a vibrant community with 72 houses. Now only six homeowners remain - and they are fuming.

A shopping mall is being built in front of their houses and, they say, it is adversely affecting their businesses, has devalued their houses and caused them inconveniences such as power failures.

They say they have previously lodged complaints with the council about the Joint Municipal Pension Fund development and are now considering legal action.

"We are deprived of our property rights and we are at the mercy of the big developers," said Jandrick Coetzee. " [The developers] think we will just move but we will stick it out and see this to the end. They bought out other properties. What about us? Our houses are being devalued. We will go to the High Court if we have to."

Coetzee, who works from home , claims that the building of the mall is causing power failures which interrupt his work.

But he is not prepared to move without finding out what the council and developers have to say about his house and those of the other five residents.

Malcolm Horn of the Joint Municipal Pension Fund refused to comment and referred Metro to his lawyer, Adriaan Venter. Attempts to contact Venter were unsuccessful.

Tshwane Metro spokesman William Baloyi said the council would have liked the issue to be resolved amicably, but it respected the residents' decision to take legal action.

"We do not know anything about the residents' complaints. As a council we are not involved in private projects," said Baloyi.

Another resident, A K van der Walt, also said the development had brought many inconveniences.

"Our houses are being devalued because we are facing the [mall's] loading zone and bins.

"With power failures we lose everything in the freezer. We can't have a proper bath because the water trickles and my son has to do his homework by candlelight," said Van der Walt.

Sunday Times