CoCT upholds City’s Municipal Planning Tribunal’s decision to impose R1m penalty for unauthorised building
The building in question is a 22-unit apartment building in Oakdale, Bellville which is built on a plot where only a single dwelling is permitted.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis talks on Kfm 94.5 | 13 July 2023 | Photographed by Ruth Smith
CAPE TOWN - Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has upheld the City’s Municipal Planning Tribunal’s decision to impose a record R1 million penalty for unauthorised building work.
The building in question is a 22-unit apartment building in Oakdale, Bellville which is built on a plot where only a single dwelling is permitted.
The municipality says it did order the developer to stop construction in 2022 however this fell on deaf ears.
It added the structure encroaches on neighbouring properties and poses a safety risk to tenants.
Hill-Lewis says after approaching the Western Cape High Court in May last year, the building and its occupation was declared unlawful.
“We’re sending a clear message that in Cape Town we are working to build a society based on a rule of law, and that the flagrant disregard of building and planning regulations cannot be tolerated. The law is not only for some, it is for all. The developer has now got 20 calendar days to pay the R1 million fine as per the high court order. The developer must also comply with all lawful processes regarding the unauthorised building."