Max Matavire

DA councillor Terry Herbst on Thursday criticised municipal manager Graham Richards for not taking action against landlords who do not maintain their properties properly, particularly Irish magnate Ken Denton.

Despite numerous letters to Richards, Herbst said, the silence from his office “remains deafening” while the buildings under review were collapsing. This, he said, was “a scandal of major proportions”.

However, Richards said he and the Mandela Bay Development Agency had worked out a strategy of engaging property owners in Nelson Mandela Bay, and Denton in particular.

“We have obtained legal advice on the action available to the council. We are making good progress,” Richards said.

The process involves the disclosure of sensitive property information, and it is not something that can be made public at this stage.

“We are not going to take the adversary route advocated by the DA,” he said.

Herbst hit hard at Richards‘s administration for turning a blind eye to the destruction of historic buildings in Central, and lamented the lack of action against property owners.

“ I would urge ratepayers and residents to rise up in wrath against a system which has, quite clearly, failed them.

"We should learn from the way other countries proudly and jealously preserve their past before sections of Central Hill crumble permanently into the dust,” Herbst said.

“History will not judge too kindly those responsible for the rape of our unique built environment.”

He mentioned the old post office, the convent in Bird Street and buildings in Victoria Street as examples.

“The municipal manager and his administration have let the people of the metro down,” Herbst said.

Richards said he would submit a comprehensive report “soon” to Mayor Nondumiso Maphazi.

He said the strategy being mapped out addressed compliance with municipal bylaws, the overall development plan for all property holdings, high-risk properties and key sensitive properties.

“This is clearly a better way of addressing this issue than what the DA is proposing,” Richards said.

Councillor Gustav Rautenbach said the council was dealing with the matter with “kid gloves”.

“We are talking here of buildings dating back 150 years. We will not allow these buildings to disappear. They are part of our history and culture.

“We do not want the council‘s soft approach.” he said.

Councillor Eldridge Jerry said people should not only talk about Central, as there were dilapidated buildings in other parts of Mandela Bay.

Richards said there was a perception that the matter could be tackled easily. “Unfortunately it is not.”

The Herald