Ex-residents fight Schubart Park demolition
2012-04-17 22:26
Pretoria - Former residents of the high-rise Schubart Park block of flats in Pretoria are fighting plans to demolish it, the Lawyers For Human Rights said on Tuesday.
Attorney Nathania Jacobs said a letter of demand had been written to the City of Tshwane requesting that the plans be put on hold until all legal processes had been completed.
If the city had not responded to the letter by Wednesday, lawyers would seek a court interdict preventing the demolition, she said.
Schubart Park was evacuated in September after fiery clashes between the police and residents about electricity and water cuts in the building.
The High Court in Pretoria ruled that residents would not be allowed back into the building as it was unsafe.
City spokeswoman Nomasonto Ndlovu could not confirm whether the city had received the letter of demand.
Jacobs said the way in which the city was dealing with the situation was not correct.
"They [the City of Tshwane] were required to report back on the status of the building, which they still have not done," she said.
In December, the High Court in Pretoria heard that the building might have to be demolished, subject to an engineering report on the status of the building.
Recent reports suggested that the demolition would go ahead even though that report had not yet been finalised.
- SAPA
