A concerned Citizen writes:
In December, I sent an email regarding the use of a property in Merriman Street, George, to house multiple families and groups of tenants.
There appear to be 10 people in total living on the property, nine of whom seem to be tenants. This appears to comprise three separate and unrelated families.
The main house or structure on the property appears to be divided into two separate sections to accommodate two unrelated married families. Its use could best be described as a multi-dwelling.
At present, there seems to be eight adults living in the main house: a family of four in a section at the front, along with two unrelated adult males, and a different family of two in a section at the back.
In addition, there are two more people living in a separate flat on the property.
There appears to be four pets on the property: three dogs and a cat.
The property remains in a visibly neglected state, most notably the front side street fencing.
Based on my understanding of the George municipal zoning scheme and other by-laws, much of the above appears not to be in line with those provisions.
I cannot find any similar examples in the nearby residential area, and I therefore question why the George Municipality, despite having repeatedly been made aware of this, does not appear to be taking steps to address the matter.
In particular, I am concerned about the crowded nature of the property due to the number of occupants, as well as nuisance caused by tenants who are frequently vocally loud, sometimes shouting, and who have loudly used vulgar Afrikaans language on numerous occasions.
It is clear that three unrelated families are living on the property, two of whom are residing in the main house structure, despite the zoning scheme stating that a dwelling is intended for the use of a single family.
The George Municipality responds:
An investigation into this matter was done in December 2025 and the complainant was advised that there is no contravention of any policy, by-law or zoning scheme of the municipality. The property in question has met all the planning requirements.
Regarding nuisance, Municipal Law Enforcement may respond to complaints such as noise or disturbances. In this instance, it has been requested that the noise is reported when actively occurring.
Residents are advised to contact the municipal control centre at the time of the incident.
Law Enforcement cannot restrict lawful activities on private property, including parking or the movement of occupants, as these fall within constitutional and vested property rights. As the matter relates to a private property dispute and primarily between neighbours, the municipality's enforcement powers are limited.
Where genuine concerns persist pertaining to noise pollution, the affected parties may need to seek civil remedies and/or approach our Law Enforcement division for assistance.
The municipality remains available to respond to any reported contraventions that fall within its legislative mandate.
Law Enforcement can be contacted on 044 801 6350 during office hours or 044 801 6300 after hours.
