A noisy pub is giving Parow Valley residents sleepless nights.
Gerhard Boshoff, who lives just behind Montego Tavern in Prinsloo Street, Parow Valley, said he and his tenants were often woken up by the noise, or could not sleep at all.
JP Smith, the City’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, said law enforcement had last received complaints about the pub in October last year, with allegations of loud music and pub patrons urinating outside, smoking dagga and blocking pavements with their cars.
Residents claim nothing has changed. Mr Boshoff, who has lived in the area for 40 years, said the pub was a nuisance and disturbed the neighbourhood.
New owners had recently taken it over, but he claimed the place had been just as bad under the previous owners.
Mr Boshoff said the new owners had told him they had installed soundproofing, but he is not convinced.
He claimed officials had brushed off complaints.
Sumaya Bester, who lives opposite the pub, said it was a blight on the neighbourhood.
Patrons parked in her driveway, emptied bottles of alcohol in the gutter outside her house, urinated in public and made a racket into the early hours.
“What is frustrating is that we have school-going children, and by the time these people come out of the tavern, it is around 2am or 3am in the morning. They make a noise, and we are trying to sleep. It really isn’t fair,” said Ms Bester.
“When they park in our driveway, we have to ask them to remove their cars. We then find ourselves having to go over to the tavern. When we do approach them, they become rude and vulgar, and on some occasions it turns into an argument,”said Ms Bester.
All she wanted was a safe community and a peaceful night’s sleep.
Mr Smith said City by-laws prohibited loud or persistent noises or disturbances in public, including noises from homes or businesses audible in a public place, except in special circumstances.
The Liquor Enforcement Unit has previously issued written warnings about noise complaints to the pub owners and the SAPS were also notified about the complaints.
Joe Mallie, the chairman of the Parow Valley Community Neighbourhood Watch, said they knew about the complaints; people had also complained to the watch about noises, parking and urinating in public.
The commotion always happened, he said, as patrons left the pub. Some became rowdy and picked fights with people. The watch had intervened in some previous commotions outside the pub, although not recently.
Parow police spokesman Captain Kevin Williams said they had received complaints about noise and parking, although no arrests had been made at the licensed pub.
Northern News tried calling Montego Tavern several times since Tuesday September 20, but the number available reverts to a fax tone, and neither the owner or manager were there when we visited it last week.
Northern News also tried the Western Cape Liquor Authority in the hope of getting contact information for the pub’s owner, but we were told it cannot divulge this.
* Residents can report complaints to City law enforcement at 021 596 1999 or the SAPS.
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