A suspected miner reportedly damaged six houses in Pumula South suburb after he blasted rocks at an infill stand using dynamite explosives last Tuesday.
Affected residents told NewsDay Lungile Nyathi allegedly used dynamite to blast rocks at an infill stand believed to belong to Revival Motorways.
Four houses in the vicinity had their roofs damaged including a nearby precast wall.
Narrating their ordeal, Fanele Ndlovu and her neighbour Hillary Phiri said the miner instructed them to stay indoors while he loaded the dynamite on the huge rocks.
“Minutes later, we heard a loud explosion and rocks falling onto our roofs, causing damage in the process,” said Phiri.
They said when they eventually ventured out to inspect the damage caused to their properties, they found huge boulders strewn over their yards.
The matter has since been reported to the police. Ndlovu is alleged to have fled the scene after the incident.
When NewsDay visited the suburb on Wednesday morning, rocks weighing about 2kg were scattered over a 200-square- metre radius.
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Former councillor for the area, Roger Sibanda, said he was concerned a house was being built at a place that was less than 30 metres away from a stream, saying this was a breach of the city’s by-laws.
“This suburb is still new and is still under construction, but already the council is talking of infills when there is plenty of land in Bellevue and Cowdray Park,” he said.
“It boggles the mind why council would sell stands at a place littered with graves and near a stream.”
Residents said police came to inspect the affected houses last week and arrested Ndlovu’s alleged accomplice whose identity was not disclosed.
Strenuous efforts to get a comment from the city’s director of housing and community services, Isaiah Magagula, were fruitless as he was said to be attending meetings.
