Andries Scribante Haven lifts expected to arrive soon

There might be light at the end of the tunnel for residents at Andries Scribante Haven.

After a number of years, the centre’s elderly residents are still forced to use the stairs to get to and from their flats. Some of them have to struggle up three flights of stairs with wheelchairs, walkers and shopping bags and attempt not to hurt themselves in the process.

The old lifts were removed after months of back-and-forth complaints made by residents and ward councillor Marius de Vos to the metro.

However, according to de Vos, the new lifts for Andries Scribante are expected to arrive on September 8.

“I was led to believe through questions posted in both council and the provincial legislature that the lifts have been procured in China, shipped to South Africa and are kept in a warehouse probably in Durban.

“On further engagement (in June) I was introduced to a different contractor who has been appointed to install the lifts. It is clear that the lifts were only procured recently in China and if it’s anything to go by, it’s on its way to South Africa. The expected arrival date is September 8.

De Vos said he hopes that the project manager will fast-tract the installation of the lifts as residents living on the top floors have been inconvenienced for far too long.

“The installation of the lifts is long overdue,” he added.

Bossie Boshoff from Boksburg told the Advertiser he was disappointed that he and his wife was refused entry to visit her elderly parents at Andries Scribante on August 22 (after the country moved down to Level 2 of the lockdown).
“We were refused entry due to the fact that the municipality had not yet supplied the entry point with the thermal thermometer or sanitise. This has been a problem since the beginning of the lockdown.

“I was really excited to see my parents-in-law again and because I work long hours I can only visit them on weekends,” he said.

He highlighted he is disgusted about the lifts that are still not working, adding his in-laws’ issues with the lifts started six years ago.
In the meanwhile, a notice stating that visitors are now allowed at Andries Scribante has been up at the home.

“I’ve spoken to a senior official in regards to the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and apparently Andries Scribante Haven will receive PPE between September 1 and September 7. This is going to allow employees (cleaners and administrative workers) to return to work.

“This will help residents a lot and hopefully the garden service will also be able to maintain the garden again At this moment a few residents are taking it upon themselves to keep clean the garden ,” de Vos said in regards to the issue regarding PPE at Andries Scribante.

The ward councillor is also concerned about faulty solar geysers that caused several residents to be without hot water since the beginning of the lockdown.

The City’s divisional head of communications Nhlanhla Cebekhulu previously said solar geysers use the sun to heat up the water during the day, which translate to savings on electricity bills for the tenants.

“This is in line with the objective of realising the implementation of alternative energy in the City,” Cebekhulu said

In connection with the issues regarding the geysers, Cebekhulu resonded:”According to the (CoE) City of Ekurhuleni Energy Department that is responsible for the installation of Geysers, in wintertime the flat plate collectors freeze during cold nights and when the element heats up the water in the morning, the collector plate cracks.

He highlighted the metro is aware of the issues raised and they are receiving further attention.

“All the queries that were reported by tenants were attended to, the department continues to attend to queries as, and when they are received,” he said.

The Advertiser is still awaiting further comment from the metro.

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