An elderly Alex granny and owner of a four-roomed bonded house on 16th Avenue feels let down by the Joburg City Council’s housing department for the delay in repairing her house.
The house was gutted by a fire she said was caused by an electrical fault on 14 August. It remains is unrepaired after the department promised it would see to it within three months. The victim, 69-year-old Busisiwe Ndlovu-Nkosi said she was advised that it would be repaired after the insurance’s verification and authorisation.
Since then, Nkosi has waited anxiously every day for the repair team to fix the burnt ceiling that has left a gaping hole in the roof which is covered with canvas to protect her family of five children and six grandchildren from the weather and also criminals.
Also destroyed were wardrobes full of clothes, beds, mattresses, linen and other valuables. Nkosi said the damage and loss would have been worse if the community had not extinguished the fire, saving the house from total destruction. “The Emergency Management Services arrived only to finish off the smouldering smoke that blackened the walls,” Nkosi said.
Area councillor, Adolph Marema said despite the community putting out the fire, EMS billed the family R15 000 for work they didn’t do. Marema said he was following up on the delay and the charges, and urged relevant service providers to first ascertain what they had done before charging exorbitant fees, especially to poor families. “All of them [entities] should be sensitive to the plight of the poor, in particular. This family may incur more damage and loss from the predicted rains if the house is not fixed quickly.”
Meanwhile, City Power allegedly reconnected the lights which can’t be switched off, even at night. While this may deter criminals, Nkosi said it was wasteful and may count against them in billing after the repairs are done. Also, she was worried about the reconnection that has left bare wires that can endanger the children.
Details: Councillor Adolph Marema 079 617 1957.
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