Dear Editor,
It’s been over a year now or one year and a half that I’ve had a 40ft container sitting in front of my home, covering the view of my house – and it does not belong to me.
My next-door neighbour is building a huge three-story building next to my house and I am happy for him. However, for over a year now he has managed to park a humongous 40ft container in front of my house as a part of his construction project. I’ve been living in Queenstown for over 30 years now and we use to have rules and consideration for those that live next door to us. This would have never happened say 15 years ago.
I understand our country is under construction, literally. However, while our country is going through a change. Can we at least have some consideration for our neighbours. After all, isn’t that what we are supposed to be doing? The relationship with our neighbours is like a china vase, it’s precious and once it’s broken it’s hard to put back together.
Please don’t tell me that the parapets in front of our home do not belong to us, especially since we are the ones who weed and keep it clean. Sidewalks in front of our homes and parapets or front lawns and the drains do belong to the government but when was the last time they took care of their property?
We the residents do!
Recently, when I came home from work I noticed that someone dumped some construction waste on my parapet. The construction waste was dragged along the parapet in an ugly smile. I wondered who would do this? Not long after, probably a week after that, I was home when I met the horse-cart man throwing more construction waste in front of my home. I told him that he can’t do that, and of course he cursed me in a humiliating way and continued his distasteful act. What was interesting was that he mentioned that the parapet is not my own. So many of us need to be rehumanized. It is as though we have lost all sense of responsibility and accountability as human beings.
I would like for there to be a time limit as to how long you can park your vehicles in front of somebody else’s home.
I would also like for the Mayor and City Council to give homeowners some right to the sidewalk and parapets. Trust us with a smidge of control to monitor the piece of land in front of us.