FINCHforum

I just received a letter from City of Cape Town Health inspectors. According to my friend next door, 4 inspectors were at my house yesterday. They left my a letter wanting to know whether I have a valid permit to keep birds. I have no South African birds and thus don't require any permits to keep my birds. I know that one of the neighbours complained to the city about the incessant barking of the neighbour that lives behind me, dog. They obviously thought that it was me who complained and this is now the backlash that I am receiving.

MariusStegmann
Oh lovely!
Don't you just love it, when neighbors start these squabbles....
So did you talk to these inspectors about not needing a permut for the birds that you keep?

~Elana~

Yes, I just spoke to them over the phone. Apparently they are classifying me with racing pigeon keepers. There are regulations on how near a pigeon loft can be to the neighbours wall and also a maximum size that the aviary can be. This is a huge inconviniance, I will have to move my aviary in the middle of the breeding season. Grrrr.

MariusStegmann...simple solution

tell the neighbours you're a police officer...my neighbours all think im a police officer.. its great

The police doesn't have a great reputation in South Africa and I am white, there are not many white police men in South Africa anymore. On one day 7 police officers were arrested for corruption at my local policestation.

MariusStegmann

really that bad in south Africa?

dutch It is not really that bad. In Cape Town things are still quite safe. There is however a lot of Affimative Shopping that goes on. My son had a scooter for 6 months, but after it was stolen for the 2nd time in 6 months, I bought him a big motorbike. For for instance those policemen arrested at my local policestation had been disappearing police dockets for criminals at a price for years. If you are a girl in South Africa then you have to be very safety conscious. Violent car jackings are in the order of the day in big cities like Johannesburg. Everybody in the inland provinces knows somebody that has come under a violent attack or it has happened to themselves. Our taxis are a law unto themselves and does just what they want, whenever they want. It is very strange for us for to drive in Australia, everybody drives under the speedlimit. Here everybody drives 20km above the speedlimit.

I hate it when people become petty about things like that. So unnecessary! I asked my neighbor for permission before putting up my aviary next to their wall, so at least I know I am covered that side.

Dutch, if we could get rid of the corruption in the higher levels, this country would be such a better place. But our legal system is a joke, the police ask for bribes more often than not and laws are just not followed because there are no repercussions. Jail time is not a threat anymore. Different regions of SA are much worse than others, Johannesburg being the worst as it is the biggest city. We are all quite used to walking past security armed with rifles and assault weapons. I'm sad to say that we have become numb to it. Crime, rape, murder just doesn't surprise us anymore.

BUT it is an amazing country to live in, with unbelievable beauty and promise. We are still a very young nation (20 years of democracy only) and I do believe we will get it right. Times are changing and the new government has not delivered on it's promises and now the previously disadvantaged are starting to demand results. It will improve and I look forward to it

That said, it is no worse than any of the major crime cities in the USA or the rest of the world.

Never heard of any stipulation of where one puts an aviary. That is definitely not common knowledge. What rule or law did the City refer to - just those of pigeon lofts. Curious.

Our law on permitting for birds is very strict (ALL birds to be permitted), but actually impossible to adhere too and therefore been interpreted only as requiring permitting for CITES and indigenous birds. Hopefully they will change this soon so it can be properly rolled out without confusion . I also had to have this long conversation with permitting officers and convince them I didn't have to permit exotic birds.

Doubly glad I went to all my neighbours when I constructed my aviary. Had 4 I had to speak to as they can all view my cage from their back yards.

Strength to you Marius. I hope you can make your neighbours friendly again or at least overcome the misunderstanding.

The neighbours behind me are really not nice people, and a person can't talk to them without it ending up with they swearing at you in the most vile language. The guy is still reasonable, but his wife? She is one scary person. The neighbour that complained about their dogs said that they daughter is in prison in Worchester for armed robbery. I will just have to comply with counsel regulations, then they don't have a leg to stand on.

MariusStegmann

Do you even keep pigeons?
You mentioned that they were classifying you as a racing pigeon breeder?

Too bad about the bad neighbors. That's such a pain in the neck. Is there any way of making 'friends', or at least making peace with these crazy people, seeing as it wasn't even you who complained about their dog's barking. By the way, if they are crazy, watch your own dogs and your birds carefully. I wouldn't put it beyond some crazy folks throwing poisoned meat into your yard, or doing some damage to your flock. Sad, but it happens.

Regarding the situation in SA, we became aware of it just fairly recently with the trial of what's his name, who shot his girlfriend.

I watched a whole show about the need for security, people living in enclosed compounds with guards and barbed wire etc. The need to keep weapons always at hand and the need to be extra vigilant at all times.

It's sad, having to live that way. Hopefully in time, things will improve.
*As mentioned some time ago, if I lived there, I wouldn't go far without a pack of very well trained Boerboels.

Now as to your aviary..... How far do you have to move it? Will this move totally disrupt this whole breeding season? Is there some way of ' buying' an extention? As in a couple of months of being excused untill you have to make the move?

I wish you very good luck and I'm sorry for your troubles.

~Elana~

Yes and Oscar Pistorius as an athlete was such an inspiration to all people, seeing as he competed against normal athletes. But like many he was / is gun crazy. Did you hear about the Shireen Divani who reputedly had his wife killed by hitman while being on honeymoon in Cape Town. It cost him R15000, less than 1500$. He says that he paid for a helicopter trip. They would probably not be able to prove it, since the court decided that the testimony of his lover not be admitted.

MariusStegmann
No, haven't heared about that one . Why would he have his wife killed on their honeymoon? That's kind of rude. I can see maybe after a few years but why on the honeymoon?
Sorry , I'm bad.

I really hope relations will improve between you and your nutty neighbors, Marius.

~Elana~

Hey all, I am a South African, and we can...... I have a boot / trunk full of guns, sleep with a gun under the pillow, have a spare gun and a shotgun in all my rooms, have a stash of ammunition, mortars, hand grenades and missiles in the kitchen, a fully stacked out building with truck and trailer in the garage for when the world ends walking dead style, a container of beans, peas and eggs as extra for the travelling Zebras, I am an African and I can! ( The above is only a joke regarding weapons...)



We had these amazing small minded people spreading high end rumours that when a well known ex state president dies that we would all be killed like flies - dated 1994- ( whites), however I am still alive......... still enjoying a lovely country and sun tanning on the beach, South Africa is not so bad, as in all parts of the world you get good places and bad, same here, all depends on the area you live in.........

Anyway......... the sun will rise the next day...........

Aw, I'm sorry to hear about this, MariusStegmann.

That's a bummer.
I hate it when neighbors act like twits.
There's an old saying that encourages people to avoid taking a poop where you eat/sleep. A wise saying, indeed! Few things can cause problems like a feud with neighbors!
It's a shame they felt the need to A) assume and B) retaliate in such a manner.

It's truly ridiculous.
When I think of a finch, I cannot think of a less bothersome creature on the planet!
How can an aviary of little finches cause any trouble?
They sound lovely and they don't cause any mess or other conditions that could pose a public health issue.

And the decision to classify you in the same category as racing pigeons is atrocious (a decision I would appeal before moving your aviary!)

I don't understand why people feel the need to tattle on neighbors.
A vast majority of people are reasonable. They should try talking to them like actual people first!
I never hesitate to tell my neighbors that their radio's bass is shaking my windows when I'm trying to sleep. And next door, we have a problem barker (right beside my bedroom, no less). But she's barking because she's bored and a bit neglected. So I'll tap into my supply of compressed rawhides and toss them over the fence to quiet her when she's annoying. Problem solved!

We did have a frightening neighbor for a while.
He was clearly a drug dealer (made no attempt to hide it.....or his large supply of guns. We live in a rural neighborhood, so the traffic was really obvious.) He bred pit bulls as fighting dogs too. Once I realized the latter, I had my husband befriend him to get photos of the injured dogs and other intelligence. Then we called the authorities, provided them with all the appropriate evidence and they seized the dogs and dealt with him.
Incidentally, he died in a police chase before he answered to those crimes.
But I can see how someone would be afraid to confront him. He was frightening.

Fortunately, those awful neighbors are few and far between!
I hope you can get things sorted.
I'd be tempted to approach them to explain that I didn't report their dog and that I love animals. *shrug*
Neighborhood issues are such a pain.
I hope the authorities are reasonable too, so you don't need to move your entire aviary mid-season!