Following the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) disregard for delivering basic services leaving the once-beautiful Klein Helderkruin Centre in a dilapidated, nothing has been done since the previous article was published on October 6.
Residents are complaining of water spillage, flooding, and faulty infrastructure. According to Gabriella Richardson, who serves on the management committee, they have been sent from pillar to post for the past three years, with three meetings being held with the housing director, regional head, and operational managers, however only promises were made, but no action was taken.
Residents are still in disbelief with the disregarding attitude they are receiving, leaving them having to deal with burst pipes and flooding being a regular occurrence, residents fear for their safety and possessions – with some citing that their wooden furniture gets damaged in the process and the repairing costs are insurmountable. Other residents said they are affected as they take medication and must endure the stinge coming with the overflow and burst pipes.
CoJ, in response to these complaints, said that they are actively addressing the challenges related to repairs and maintenance of the units.
• Also read: Residents concerned as conditions of their beloved home deteriorate
“Currently, our panel of service providers has expired, and we are in the process of procuring a new panel to enhance service delivery. The Department of Human Settlements is currently using the three-quote system that tends to be time-consuming, resulting in a backlog of service delivery,” Neo Goba, deputy director of communications for CoJ said.
According to its department, steps are being taken to mitigate these challenges by entering into a Service Level Agreement with another government entity which will be in effect from October 1 pending the resolution of outstanding payments.
It is believed that a budget was allocated for the 2023/ 2024 financial year, and this will be utilised for this purpose.
“Over the past two financial years, significant repairs and maintenance work has been carried out, including the installation of CCTV cameras, converting baths to showers, geyser replacements, and addressing emergency-related issues,” Goba said.
Ward 83 councillor Florence Roberts, cited the Klein Helderkruin Old Age Home in Wilro Park has been without maintenance since November 2021, causing severe living conditions for vulnerable citizens. The home has submitted 15 lists for urgent repair to various teams, but no resolution has been made. The City must address these issues and uphold the residents’ human rights.
Questions around the alleged allocated budget were posed to the MMC for Human Settlements to confirm if indeed there were funds allocated and if it was underspent, reasons for this were enquired, and remedial action was also raised. If indeed the budget was overspent, information regarding the periods, sub-contractors and cost account were queried.
There has been no response at the time of publication and details will be published once available.
