The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, through the Office of the Chief Operating Officer (COO), led a joint site visit to Beacon Lodge in Summerstrand today. Beacon Lodge is a building that has raised serious concerns among both residents and authorities.
The operation involved multiple municipal departments, including Electricity and Energy, Budget and Treasury, Building Inspectorate, Fire Services, Environmental Health, Security Services, as well as Metro Police and SAPS, who had one clear mandate, to address growing safety, health, and infrastructure risks posed by the building’s illegal occupation and degraded state.
Beacon Lodge has been without electricity since last year due to extensive vandalism and theft of infrastructure, including electrical cables, geysers, and water piping. The building also owes the Municipality a significant amount on its electricity account, further compounding the issue.
The Municipality is prioritising action at Beacon Lodge not only to enforce the law, but also to protect residents, ensure fair access to services, and restore dignity to the urban environment.
This forms part of a broader effort to clamp down on illegal buildings, service abuse, and infrastructure vandalism that place enormous strain on our Metro’s budget and service delivery systems.
Residents are encouraged to report suspicious activity related to illegal occupations or infrastructure theft by contacting Metro Police or SAPS.
