70 elderly residents of Silwerkroon Old Age Home unable to use lift again

ANOTHER breakdown of the lift at Silwerkroon has left about 70 elderly residents of Silwerkroon Old Age Home to their own plight of facing a flight of stairs – again.

In 2017 the senior citizens were without a lift for about ten months. The lift was then repaired and worked well until it broke again on December 3.

Stuck in the lift for an hour

Ann Haymes (79) was stuck in the lift on December 3 after the power failure.

According to her, it was due to load-shedding. “I live on the first floor and I remember the lift started to go down when the power went off. Then the lift stopped and everything became dark. My first thought was that I am going to be stuck in the lift for four hours,” she said.

“The next moment the emergency light of the lift came on and she started pressing the bell.

“I pressed it a couple of times and when I heard voices I banged on the door. When other residents noticed I am stuck they shouted at me to ask if I am okay.

“I was concerned because I am afraid of heights and am claustrophobic,” she said.

Don Jansen, the chairperson of the residents association, asked his wife, Lorraine to call someone from Schindler Lifts who repaired their lift in 2017.

On that occasion, the residents found out that Silwerkroon’s contract had expired due to non-payment by the municipality.

Don and some of the residents then got Ann out of the lift safely and unharmed after an hour.

The lift was stuck between two floors and about four feet from the ground. “Luckily I walked out without any injuries. I was shaking but I was okay. It’s a nightmare. We have people who can’t walk, or have problems with walking, who stay on the third floor. I feel so sorry for them,” said Ann.

Bills not paid

It came to the attention of the RECORD that the municipality had not paid Schindler Lifts an amount of R12 710.59 since February. The amount is still outstanding. Residents learned about this after they tried to phone the company for help when Ann was stuck in the lift.

A big struggle

Don said he has tried his best since the lift broke to get help and some feedback, but this yielded no results as the municipality did not come back to him.

The caretaker of the Silwerkroon Flats has also been made aware of the situation. This is a big concern as there are people who now and again have to use the stairs.

Don continued: “Residents are tired of the number of excuses they are given. A private company in Alberton had offered to fix these lifts and offered a free of charge one-year maintenance plan.

“The Ekurhuleni Municipality inexplicably turned down the offer, citing insurance liability as an excuse.

“There is a great bitterness as the residents cannot believe in the way in which they are being treated by the municipality,” he said.

He further told the RECORD that in 2017, while the lift was under repair, three people on the third floor died and paramedics could not even gain access to the patients.

“People at Silwerkroon are now again forced to use stairs, with their bad joints and those in wheelchairs and walkers are out of luck altogether,” Don said.

Don told the RECORD that he has sent emails around and he hopes that the lift would be repaired before Christmas.

Thank you

“We just want to thank Clr Bruna Haipel from the DA for being our pillar and for always standing up for us. Thank you for always trying your best and for going to war for us,” said Don.

Haipel has in the meantime contacted Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) and other parties but has not received any comment.

The RECORD contacted the EMM and the caretaker of Silwerkroon for comment but had not received responses at the time of going to print.

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