MP vows to take shocking state of Excelsior Court to Minister of Public Works

FOLLOWING continued complaints regarding noise disturbance as well as the poor state of the infamous Excelsior Court building in Peter Mokaba (Ridge) Road, and after a visit to the building by ward councillor Charmaine Clayton, in December, an oversight visit was made to the premises recently.

Clayton, along with Central Durban Constituency head and Shadow Minister of Intelligence Dianne Kohler Barnard, DA National MP on the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee Samantha Graham-Maré, Martin Meyer, provincial spokesperson for Human Settlements and Public Works, visited the former police flats along with concerned residents.

The situation at the building continues to deteriorate and although the building has been condemned for a number of years, people, some who are police officers, continue to live there and according to them, have their salaries docked for accommodation each month.

“With illegal electricity connections, rubbish everywhere and no working fire hoses, this is a human tragedy waiting to happen.We will drive this on local, provincial and national levels to try and push for solutions. Former councillors Jethro Lefevre and Christopher Pappas also tried to get this serious matter solved and we will continue to fight this fight,” said Meyer, after the visit.

ALSO READ: Excelsior Court decay worsens

According to Pappas, he was recently contacted by the Head of National Assets for Public Works in KZN, after Pappas commented about Head of Public Works, Patricia De Lille’s, lack of response to his three emails, on her Facebook page.

Pappas said he was informed that the man had engaged with senior officials at SAPS about the building, and that SAPS were asked to give the building back to Public Works.

Pappas said he was told the SANDF had shown interest in the building.

At the oversight visit, residents raised their concerns, saying that despite being condemned, people were still living in the building.

They reported that residents held parties every weekend causing noise disturbances, and said the property and buildings were filthy. A tour of the premises revealed the extent of the filth.

Officials were shocked to find bags of rubbish on the stairway up to the roof, on the roof itself as well as outside the building.

Main electrical cables were exposed, sewage was seen leaking out of pipes outside flats, there were no lights in the passageways and many windows were broken.

Water runs continually from one of the only fire hoses at the block.

Councillor Clayton said following the oversight visit she would be putting a question to Council on how much the electrical, water and rates bills were for the building and when it was last paid.

Graham-Maré said she would compile a full oversight report with videos and photos which will be submitted to Patricia De Lille and to the SAPS.

Commenting on the visit, she said her first concern was that if money was being deducted from the salaries of police officers living in the building, where was the money was going.

“I will be asking if Public Works is aware the flats are occupied when this building is condemned. I want to know how the municipality is billing for water and electricity and who is paying for these utilities. These people are living in sub-human conditions, the building has been turned into a squatter camp and no one is taking responsibility,” she said.