Cape Town: Senator Park - 'hell hole of a place'

[Unregistered]

"Sometimes you hear terrible screaming and the next day you see blood all over the walls."

It's just one of the horrors a Senator Park tenant has experienced in the "hell hole of a place".

The tenant in the Keerom Street building, who does not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said despite attempts by security services and managers to curb problems, the situation had become unbearable.

"This place reeks. People urinate in the passages. Beer bottles are piled on stairs. Some doors, the doors to the drug dealers' flats, have holes the police have bashed through during raids.

'It's so scary. We sometimes have to block our ears'
"People get mugged in the building. I saw a girl being beaten and thrown against the wall. We've got security, but it's useless. We have access discs now, but anyone is let in. There are some nice, decent people here, but there are criminals who make us fearful."

The tenant said some nights beer bottles were thrown from windows and screaming could be heard from some of the flats.

"It's so scary. We sometimes have to block our ears. There are children living here and it's not fair on them. They hear the police bashing into flats, hear the screaming. They're scared."

The tenant said 12- and 13-year-old girls, who appeared to have run away from home, were often seen in men's rooms.

"They say they're so-and-so's girlfriend. The girl must then sell the man's drugs outside, bring in clients and sleep with them if the clients want. She gets to stay in his flat in return."

Tenants also feared a syndicate was operating in the seven-floor building, which has 168 flats.

"They stashed stolen things in a flat that wasn't occupied at the time. No one was supposed to have the key to that flat, so how did they get in? The door wasn't broken.

"There are also storage units on each floor that are being used to stash stuff in. We're not supposed to have the keys. It's like someone has a master key."

When the Cape Times visited Senator Park yesterday, many of the building's windows were open and clothes hung from some of them.

When the photographer started taking pictures, a group of men on the steps leading to the building became angry.

"You're not allowed to. Go away," they shouted.

Two Central City Improvement District security guards watched from nearby.

One man bragged about firearms he said he was keeping inside and which he wanted photographed.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn2009112504 0815422C732004

[Unregistered]

"Sometimes you hear terrible screaming and the next day you see blood all over the walls."

It's just one of the horrors a Senator Park tenant has experienced in the "hell hole of a place".

The tenant in the Keerom Street building, who does not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said despite attempts by security services and managers to curb problems, the situation had become unbearable.

"This place reeks. People urinate in the passages. Beer bottles are piled on stairs. Some doors, the doors to the drug dealers' flats, have holes the police have bashed through during raids.

'It's so scary. We sometimes have to block our ears'
"People get mugged in the building. I saw a girl being beaten and thrown against the wall. We've got security, but it's useless. We have access discs now, but anyone is let in. There are some nice, decent people here, but there are criminals who make us fearful."

The tenant said some nights beer bottles were thrown from windows and screaming could be heard from some of the flats.

"It's so scary. We sometimes have to block our ears. There are children living here and it's not fair on them. They hear the police bashing into flats, hear the screaming. They're scared."

The tenant said 12- and 13-year-old girls, who appeared to have run away from home, were often seen in men's rooms.

"They say they're so-and-so's girlfriend. The girl must then sell the man's drugs outside, bring in clients and sleep with them if the clients want. She gets to stay in his flat in return."

Tenants also feared a syndicate was operating in the seven-floor building, which has 168 flats.

"They stashed stolen things in a flat that wasn't occupied at the time. No one was supposed to have the key to that flat, so how did they get in? The door wasn't broken.

"There are also storage units on each floor that are being used to stash stuff in. We're not supposed to have the keys. It's like someone has a master key."

When the Cape Times visited Senator Park yesterday, many of the building's windows were open and clothes hung from some of them.

When the photographer started taking pictures, a group of men on the steps leading to the building became angry.

"You're not allowed to. Go away," they shouted.

Two Central City Improvement District security guards watched from nearby.

One man bragged about firearms he said he was keeping inside and which he wanted photographed.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn2009112504 0815422C732004

It sounds like Paradise, who wouldn't want to live in a wonderful place like this LMFWAO