Big problems at Klein Helderkruin?

What is supposed to be the autumn years of peace and quiet seems to be exactly the opposite for residents of Klein Helderkruin retirement village.

This state-owned economic housing complex for the aged recently has been the focus point of a minor political catfight after the DA accused the ANC of hijacking one of their events at the village.

Soon afterwards all parties involved (which included Roodepoort Care for the Aged (RCA), the Roodepoort Older Persons Forum and residents) started slugging it out in the local media.

Residents also contacted the Record as it seemed that they felt that the incident also gave them the opportunity to voice their complaints and concerns.

The most recent straw is a burst pipe that has been gushing out water for more than a week when the Record visited the village on 3 December.

What raises suspicion though is that none of the immediate management wanted to talk to the Record and that most of the residents seemed scared to talk and only did so if anonymously.

Some of the residents’ concerns and complaints are as follow:

• Who was the guilty party in the DA-ANC fiasco?

• Who actually runs the complex and who appointed them?

• Rules are not adhered to anymore, for example pets used to be strictly forbidden but now pets seem to roam free.

• Although the village is classed as ‘economic housing for the aged’ people who obviously are well off have moved in.

• One unit allegedly is used as storage space while the owner resides somewhere else.

• Some residents allegedly are taking in other tenants who do not belong there. The Record was told of a resident whose daughter and boyfriend allegedly live with her in a bedsit.

• The maintenance staff allegedly do very little work and then spend the rest of their time doing maintenance work for residents at a fee.

• New stoves were promised and arrived but only certain units received them. Consequently one of the residents had to pay for and put in his own stove.

• There are allegations that certain donations, like sweets and fruit, do not reach the residents whereas less expensive products, like spinach, do.

• Renegade committees apparently get formed without any mandate.

• One welfare organisation who offered to do small maintenance jobs for the residents for free allegedly were told by the Department of Housing that ‘they will be prosecuted if they touch council property’.

• If a local church does not cut the grass it is not done regularly.

• Residents allegedly hardly ever get to interact with the representatives from the Department of Housing.

The Record has forwarded these issues to both the Department of Social Development and Housing for comment and to find out what action will be taken.