City of Joburg was 'wrong to remove booms'

Joburg Agency workers reinstating the security booms at Hurlingham Manor North. Picture: Anna Cox

Joburg Agency workers reinstating the security booms at Hurlingham Manor North. Picture: Anna Cox

Published Dec 21, 2016

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Johannesburg – Proper procedures were not followed in removing security booms in Hurlingham Manor North.

The City of Joburg on Wednesday admitted that the warnings of the removal were verbal and not in writing.

The city, earlier this week, was forced to reinstate the booms it had removed after residents took to the courts to fight their removal.

Lisa Seftel, executive director for transport in the city, said: “We recognised that we had not given the required notice and thus agreed to reinstate the gates,” she said.

Seftel, however, still maintains that the Hurlingham Manor North Residents Association (HMNRA) was not in compliance with the conditions of the policy.

“The association was locking pedestrian gates and using a push button device to open boom gates in contravention of the conditions of the security access restriction,” she said.

She said that on Tuesday an agreement had been reached, and, as part of a court order, the HMNRA has now agreed to comply and not use the electronic push button device to grant access to the area.

Included in the court order, said Seftl, is a request by the HMNRA to be given a proper hearing on the issues of automation and the locking of pedestrian gates at a sitting arranged as part of the renewal process. “This is a far better way of addressing issues than residents’ associations doing as they please on a public road,” said Seftel.

Residents associations are required to renew their approvals for security access restrictions every two years.

“The majority of the approximately 400 residents associations are in compliance with the city’s security access restriction policy. Residents associations are urged to comply with the policy and, if they want to make changes to the conditions, should engage with the city through the processes established in terms of the policy.

“Similarly, if residents feel their rights to public roads are not being respected such as through the illegal locking of pedestrian gates, they should raise their concerns and complaints through city channels including the petition’s process, the Joburg Roads Agency Find and Fix App and other social media platforms.”

The city agreed to pay the R150 000 in legal fees for the court interdict.

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@annacox

The Star

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