Illegal lavish homes go up

NO PLANS EXIST: BUILDING CONTINUES WHILE COUNCIL 'INVESTIGATES'

- Antoinette Slabbert

Hundreds of big, upper-class houses have mushroomed in an illegal development right on the doorstep of Pretoria with no apparent effort from the City of Tshwane to stop it.

There are no proper streets, stormwater drainage, water supply, sewerage or refuse removal.

When asked about it two weeks ago, the council could only say that it is "investigating the existence of the development in question to determine whether there are any applications submitted for infrastructural and residential developments".

"Once these investigations are completed, we will be able to give an update," it added.

Moneyweb was approached by two residents of Leeuwfontein, an agricultural area north of Pretoria on the way to Cullinan.

Richard Sharp and Willy Seeley have lived and worked on their smallholding for years and are concerned about the illegal developments in the area.

"If all is above board, I have no problem with it," said Seeley, who farms with crops and livestock on his property.