The last time an elevator at one of the council-owned flats in Benoni was working, was in March.
One of the lifts at Deneys Conradie Residentia (Western Extension) was repaired free-of-charge by Impact Maintenance Services, in February.
Residents at the three-storey building were ecstatic upon hearing the news, but less than a month later, the lift broke down again.
This comes as the lifts at Pauline Davis Court (three-storey building, Benoni CBD) haven’t worked since October last year; and the lifts at Karachi Court (seven-storey building in Actonville) and Delhi Court (eight-storey flats in Actonville), have been non-operational for at least several years.
A couple living on one of the floors above ground at Pauline Davis Court, said they were told the lifts would be fixed by the end of last year; the latest news was it would be done by this Christmas.
“When someone dies on one of the upper floors, the paramedics have to carry the body down on a chair; the body is seated in the chair and carried down,” said the pair, who wished to remain anonymous.
“I can’t go out, because I can’t get down the stairs,” the woman said.
“I don’t even go downstairs when the nurses are here to check us, because I can’t climb so many steps – and I can’t expect them to come up here for me every time.”
The couple said the higher floors experienced low water pressure for a few weeks in August or September.
During this time, many of the elderly residents were forced to carry buckets of water upstairs, according to the two.
“This is so undignified; what about human rights for us,” the woman added.
They said many residents have already moved out of the building, since the lifts last broke down.
Another woman, living on the third and highest floor, said: “My husband struggles a lot with his legs and my legs and knees aren’t in perfect condition either.”
“Daily things become very difficult, like going grocery shopping or going down to hang up the laundry – it’s a struggle.”
The woman’s neighbour said: “The older people really struggle; some of them can’t go out at all.”
“If they would just repair the lifts, we would appreciate it so much.”
In comment sent out by the metro in September, metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe said the metro was at a pre-planning stage to have tenders advertised, for lifts to be repaired or replaced.
“This will happen during the course of the current financial year,” he said.
“The Delhi Court and Karachi Court lifts were decommissioned many years back and the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) is currently preparing tenders for the replacement of those two lifts.
“In Deneys Conradie Residentia and Pauline Davis Court, the lifts have broken and quotations have been called for their repair.”
Several residents of the flat buildings said they feel the metro doesn’t care properly for its elderly citizens.
The metro responded with: “EMM has not lost sight of the welfare of the elderly and holds their welfare in high regard.”
In comment sent by the metro at the end of June, the following figures were given as the 2016/17 budget for operating lifts at council-owned flats in the city:
• Major maintenance – R3.2-million (R1.94-m less than in the 2015/16 financial year).
• Minor maintenance – R4.28-m (R1.45-m less than in the 2015/16 financial year).
Gadebe said the budget will be used for all council-owned flat buildings in Ekurhuleni.
He said major maintenance refers to capital-related projects and work, while minor maintenance refers to the operational day-to-day repairs and maintenance work.
“The reduction in budget is in line with the maintenance plan, which varies from year to year,” Gadebe said.
More questions were sent to the metro regarding the current situation at the buildings, but no comment was forthcoming at the time of publishing.
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