For some residents the old police barracks on the corner 8th Avenue and 7th Street is an incubator for crime, but for those living there in squalor it is home.
According to a resident from the area who wants to stay anonymous drugs are being sold from the spot and she and her family allegedly had to witness the rape of a woman on the property. She also complains that SAPS and Council are ignoring pleas to do something about the situation.
The Record went to investigate on 3 July and were met by the squatters and Community Workers Programme (CWP) members.
According to the squatters there are approximately 80 people living in the barracks currently.
The Council has provided two water tanks and four portaloos but there is no electricity in the building.
The CWP also told the Record that they were in the process of cleaning up the property and could show a large tract that has already been cleaned.
The CWP has their work cut out with a big portion still resembling a dump site.
The squatters complained that JMPD harass them from time to time and that they are not getting co-operation from the Councillor Marianne Kemp in order to find a solution.
“If they give us work and homes we’ll move,” said one squatter defiantly.
One resident of the barracks, Alina Dyantyi (48) showed the Record the dark room she and four children (of whom one is disabled) shares.
According to Dyantyi the rumour about drugs are untrue. She explained that it is “outsiders” who commit the crimes but then it gets pinned on the squatters of the barracks.
At one stage she even had a big vegetable garden on the property for the squatters but she gave up on it due to people from the outside stealing the vegetables.
She said that she would like to start one again once the CWP (of whom she is a member) has cleaned up.
“The vegetables grow nicely because the soil here is rich,” says Dyantyi.
Residents that are against the squatting says that the dilapidated building should be demolished and that Council should build a park for the youngsters in the area who are currently playing in the streets.
Kemp was unavailable for comment.
