As of this afternoon the ‘Ghost House’ of Seatides is no more than a pile of rubble.

Situated on the seaside of the M4 next to Beach Bums restaurant and beach bar, the abandoned house has been a playground for graffiti enthusiasts and photographers for many years, and has become an iconic landmark on the Dolphin Coast.

Demolished in less than an hour, the house was brought to its knees by a single excavator.

Those on site contracted to knock down the house were tight-lipped as to why the building was demolished and whether there were any plans for the land.

Whether the land has been sold to developers or whether the owner, Saantha Naidu, plans to build has not been confirmed.

Unconfirmed reports include that Naidu had received a court order to demolish the house because it was unsafe.

The ‘Ghost House’ was built in 1926 by Naidu’s grandfather, Gurusamy Veerasamy Naidu, who came all the way from India, seeking new business opportunities in KZN.

His was the first house built in the Casuarina Beach area.

In February 2015 the Courier spoke to Naidu, who himself became a property tycoon and owns impressive buildings such as the Coastlands hotels and resorts which are part of the Saanta Naidu Group.

At the time he was adamant that the family were not interested in selling.

“It is a priceless family treasure and it is not for sale,” he said.

The demolition timeline:

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