Ottery residents raise alarm over ongoing health and safety risks at New Horizon court

Residents of New Horizon Court in the Ottery flats are calling for urgent intervention following more than a year of ongoing health, safety and nuisance complaints relating to a tenant at New Horizon Court.

Several residents, who asked to remain anonymous due to safety fears, say they have been “battling for more than a year with no relief”.

According to them, the ongoing issues allegedly stem from behaviour linked to the tenant, and visitors to the unit. Complaints include suspected drug use on the premises - including dagga, tik and buttons - as well as guests sleeping over and leaving the unit in an unhygienic and unsafe condition.

Residents say the situation has escalated to the point where it poses serious health and safety risks for neighbouring families.

Despite repeated complaints to the City of Cape Town, residents claim no effective action has been taken.

A resident, who does not want to be named in fear of being targeted, contacted Southern Mail to share the neighbouring tenants’ battle.

The resident confirmed they had sent multiple emails to the City, appealing for intervention. “The situation has persisted for too long and continues to negatively impact the wellbeing and safety of residents."

The condition of the unit has reportedly deteriorated significantly. The flat has been vandalised, and there is no functioning toilet, resulting in residents allegedly using containers for waste.

Neighbours report that waste has been thrown out of the unit’s window into a garden below, causing sewage water and foul odours to seep into the walls of the downstairs unit.

Residents say they feel abandoned and are appealing once again for action. They are urgently requesting that the City and relevant departments conduct an inspection of the premises New Horizon Court, investigate alleged drug activity and disorderly behaviour, enforce by-laws related to health, safety and tenancy and provide written feedback to affected residents.

Residents say they fear the situation will worsen without immediate intervention. “People here just want to live safely again,” said one neighbour.

Ward councillor William Akim said he was aware of the ongoing problem at the unit.

According to Mr Akim, the tenant’s mother died nearly two years ago after being struck by a truck. She had been employed as a street cleaner at the Wynberg depot.

He said the tenant later received an insurance payout, which attracted a large circle of new friends. “There were a lot of people around him at that stage. They took advantage of him and the money was quickly gone,” Mr Akim said.

He added that the situation deteriorated soon after, and the flat became a hotspot for anti-social behaviour, vandalism and theft, with “people stripping items from inside the unit”.

Residents lodged multiple complaints about noise, nuisance and safety concerns, and the matter was also reported to police by a family member.

Mr Akim confirmed that the City is aware of the current condition of the property and the impact on neighbouring residents. “The City is in the process of attending to the maintenance needs of the unit,” he said.

The City told Southern Mail that it was making efforts to address the situation.

“The person in question has been disregarding the City’s directives to call at the office or to change the behaviour that has been reported. To this end, the City will be taking legal action.”