Two Tweedy Park Old Age Home residents have to deal with a water leak, despite being without water for two months, except between 23:00 and 04:00, and lifts that are still not operational.
The residents of flats 107 and 108 have been struggling with a water leak flooding their flats daily for almost eight weeks. One resident, Marie Terblanche (80), does not know who to turn to any more.
According to her, requests to fix the leak have been met with ‘there is no budget’. She has been waiting three weeks to find out if she can temporarily move into an empty flat until they fix the leak.
“I don’t know what to do anymore. It is hopeless! Since the leak started, my flat and one-half of the first floor don’t get water at all, not even at night like the rest.
“I have to fetch water from the outside taps in buckets, boil it in my kettle and carry it to the bathroom to bathe. I am 80 years old and have to carry buckets of water around. What if I fall into the boiling water?” Marie asked.
The troubles are getting worse because the linoleum tiles in the two affected flats are starting to lift off the floor with the constant flooding.
Marie has to put newspapers everywhere to keep the apartment dry, and she constantly has to clean. The biggest issue with the leak, however, is the black mould growing in Marie’s bathroom.
The resident of apartment 108 was out when the Brakpan Herald visited, but it is suspected that she also has to deal with black mould and constant flooding.
Black mould is highly toxic and can cause respiratory distress and other dangerous health issues, making these flats a health and safety hazard.
“When the pipe burst, the workers said they did not know where the water was coming from, so they cannot fix it,” Marie said.
“If they can at least unblock the storm drain, the water will have somewhere to go and not flood my apartment.”
Another resident of the flats, who wished to remain anonymous, says it is not guaranteed that the water will be on after 23:00. They have turned on the taps at 23:10 and 23:30 only to get no water.
“I see the lady in the corner below me walk to fetch water. She can barely walk, but she is carrying six or eight buckets of water every day,” he said.
“I hear them say the money ran out. The lifts did not work, so they held a meeting, but people stood up and left because they talked in circles and did not answer questions.”
The residents often fetch water for their neighbour in number 97. She is reportedly currently in hospital for dehydration and other ailments.
Ward 97 Clr Brandon Pretorius is of the view that the municipality has never been proactive when it comes to Tweedy Park.
“I believe the city, and more specifically the Brakpan Human Settlements Department, has completely lost sight of the welfare of the elderly,” he said.
“The state of Tweedy Park continues to deteriorate by the day and the new administration seems to have no respect for the elderly. More shocking, they have no care for the dignity of the occupants of Tweedy Park.
“Tweedy Park has been plagued with several issues over the years but recently it has become a life-or-death situation.”
He confirmed two current main challenges are the non-functioning lifts and the inconsistent water flow.
“The lifts either don’t work or are problematic at times which means occupants of the flats are stranded. If they dare take a chance to utilise them, they risk getting stuck,” he said.
“The City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has also failed to fix the faulty water pump at Tweedy Park, which has been out of commission for the last few months.
“The elderly of Tweedy Park, more especially those on the higher floors, either do not have water pressure or experience complete water loss at times.
“The lack of support and service delivery from the CoE has been alarming during this time of desperation and despair.
“The response from the city shows they do not hold the elderly of our community in a very high regard and have no humanity within the current failing administration.”
Pretorius added he was notified on Monday that a maintenance contractor has been appointed to attend to the outstanding challenges within Tweedy Park, but this excludes the repairs needed on the lifts.
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“A site meeting has been called with the contractor, as well as the department. In response to a question regarding the lifts, the department responded, saying the lifts are still under warranty and that the contractor who installed the lifts advised that the parts needed for repairs have been ordered. No commitment could be given to restoration as these parts were being imported,” he said.
“The city is constantly blaming budget as the reason for delaying maintenance. The budget has got nothing to do with it. Poor planning and awarding tenders to inefficient and incompetent contractors is the problem.
“As we continue to fight for our elderly I would like to plead to anyone in the community willing to assist us with the challenges to contact me directly.”
Contact Pretorius on 063 374 2614.
The Herald is awaiting comment from the City of Ekurhuleni.
