Peppermint Palace’s prime location hides crime, despair

Cape Town - The notorious Peppermint Palace on Muizenberg Main Road has breath-taking views over False Bay but take a step inside the derelict building and a very different story emerges.

There are human faeces on the floor of nearly every room while nappies and filthy clothes are scattered everywhere.

The sound of the ocean can be clearly heard through the empty window frames because all the panes have been vandalised or stolen.

Kevin Rack, a patroller with the local neighbourhood watch, says criminals use the building as a hideout and it is also popular with prostitutes.

“Cars drive in and the occupants do their drug deals and leave. The same with those coming in to visit the prostitutes.”

He said residents were frustrated by the lack of action from the city about the problem building. “Muizenberg is the poor cousin. This doesn’t happen in Camps Bay or Sea Point.”

A security guard whose job is to help secure the property says there are about 12 people living there, including members of the 26s and 28s numbers gangs. “I’ve been here three months. This place is a hive of crime. They even stole my cellphone. They need to get dogs and close the place down.”

He said there had been babies staying in the Palace. “Social services were here but they were too frightened to come inside.”

But despite its run-down state and lack of water and electricity, one couple calls it home. Na-aim Atkins and Angeline Abrahams have been living in the Palace for over a year and blame the criminal element on gangs who came from Lavender Hill and Capricorn. “They come to take the windows,” Abrahams says. “But we like it here, especially the view.” She says if they see anything wrong, they call security.

Na-aim Atkins and Angeline Abrahams have been living in the Peppermint Palace for about a year. Picture: Helen Bamford

“We try our best not to let anyone come in and help look after the place.”

They have converted one of the ground floor rooms into their bedroom. There are pictures on the wall, a table and some chairs.

Ironically Atkins stayed in the building when it was called the Cape Sands more than 20 years ago. His mother, Berenice Slarmie, rented a room for R900. “It was many years ago,” Slarmie recalls. “Na-aim was just a toddler. “There was a Mr Pillay in charge. We parked across the road and brought our groceries over.” But she says now the building is rotten.

She and her husband, Nazeem, sleep on Atlantic Road with Muizenberg’s homeless population. “Even there you have to keep one eye open. They should turn this building into a place for the homeless,” she says pointing up at the Palace.

Johan van der Merwe, the City’s mayco member for energy, environmental and spatial planning, said they were aware a sales agreement had been signed with a developer for the purchase of the property.

It included the allowance of time to carry out a due diligence process on the property to be sure of its feasibility.

helen.bamford@inl.co.za

Cape Argus