Drug house clean up in progress

Update

GEORGE NEWS - A petition in an attempt to resolve the hornet's nest that is the alleged drug house in Cathedral Street, has received 332 signatures since its launch last week.

This house has recently come under the magnifying glass as alleged drug deals, prostitution and sometimes violent crimes happen daily on the premises.

According to business owners and residents in the area, the house is not only a crime hotspot but also a health and safety risk.

Since the article regarding the house in George Herald on Thursday 13 February, George Herald has managed to track down the owner of the house and was told by a reliable source that four minor children were removed from the house last week.

According to the source a young boy was voluntarily handed over to social workers last Wednesday morning, 26 February.

He has allegedly been taken to nearby family members.

Children's clothes were hanging on the washing line when George Herald visited the premises in February.

Later that day, when attempting to remove the remaining three children, the social workers were threatened and chased from the property by the inhabitants.

According to the source, the three children were taken elsewhere by their parents on Friday 28 February. Their current whereabouts could however not be confirmed.

Yesterday morning, Wednesday 4 March, Esther Lewis of the Western Cape Department of Social Development confirmed that a court order to remove the children from the house had been obtained.

The alleged owner of the house, former Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources, Godfrey Oliphant, referred all media enquiries to a legal representative, Badian Maasdorp. By the time of going to print no feedback had been received from them. Oliphant also indicated that a number of prospective buyers have shown interest in the property.

A screenshot of the petition on www.thepetitionsite.com.