Avoca families stuck in limbo after bank collapse
The collapse not only destroyed the retaining wall of the housing complex but also broke through the back of several homes, causing them to flood and be covered in mud.
SINCE the heavy rains in April this year, five Avoca families lives have been turned upside down after a bank collapse left them homeless.
Their housing complex on Hyacinth Road was severely damaged by a bank collapse from a neighbouring school, St Michael’s Primary School.
The collapse not only destroyed the complex’s retaining wall but also broke through the back of several homes, causing them to flood and be covered in mud.
What is worse, the homes, which now lie vacant, have been targeted by thieves who have stolen copper pipes, light fittings and anything that can be sold for scrap.
Several residents from the complex recently spoke to Northglen News about their struggles. Malcolm Pillay has been living in a rented accommodation in the Greenwood Park area at his own cost since April.
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He says the residents are still paying rates and electricity on their homes which are uninhabitable.
“Effectively, we are in limbo. We have no idea where we stand and what is going to happen. When the heavy rains struck, we had to leave with just the clothes on our back because we witnessed how blocks from our retaining wall were being forced out due to the landslide. We’ve been chasing up the Department of Education and Department of Public Works but have gotten nowhere.
“We’ve also collectively raised our concerns about the safety of the learners at the school because that soil is not stable. With more rain on its way, it is only a matter of time before more of that ground moves even farther, endangering everyone. In recent weeks, thieves have been entering our homes from the back, where the walls have collapsed, and stolen and stripped everything they can,” he said.
Fellow resident, Ashlin Marimuthu echoed Pillay’s sentiments.
“The first lot of rains caused substantial structural damage, and the second rains, a month later, worsened the damages. Effectively, the bank took out the back of many of the properties and damaged our roofs. The last time we lived in our homes was April 11. At the moment, more than anything, we feel frustration because we are getting very little help.
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“In order to rebuild our lives, we first need the bank of the school to be retained so that we can only then think about rebuilding, and this seems so far away,” Marimuthu said.
The residents said they would welcome any help from anyone willing to listen to their cause.
“We’ve exhausted all avenues: we have phoned various departments on an almost daily basis without any help,” explained Marimuthu. “If anyone is willing to help us in any way possible, they can contact me on 073 646 9346 or Malcolm on 072 065 3678.”
Both the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works failed to comment by the time of going to print.
