Cape Town to maintain 'no nonsense' approach to developers, says mayor

CAPE TOWN - Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the city will maintain a "no nonsense" approach to developers who insist on constructing unauthorised buildings in the metropolis.

This follows the city’s recent decision to impose a record R1 million penalties on a developer who built a 22-unit apartment in Bellville.

Hill-Lewis said the developer was fined for unauthorised building work on an erf where only a single dwelling was permitted.

"The building was built without any planning application or approvals at all. It was built completely illegally and it's not the first time that this particular developer had done that. I'm told that it's the second or even third time that he had done this."

Hill-lewis said the backlog in planning approval was no excuse to construct unauthorised buildings.

"No, they cannot argue that, of course. it takes some time to get planning approval, but you can make applications and you can start to move through the system. To get approval."