87-year-old Alberton resident blames broken lift after wife suffers fall at Silwerkroon
A frustrated Alberton pensioner says his 74-year-old wife broke her hip and leg after falling down stairs at an old age home where residents claim the lift has not been working for an extended period.
An 87-year-old resident at Silwerkroon Old Age Home says his wife suffered serious injuries after falling down the stairs while the building’s lift remains out of service.
Oliver Billy, who has lived at the facility for 10 years, visited Alberton Record on May 11 to express his frustration over what he claims are long-standing maintenance problems at the building.
According to Oliver, his 74-year-old wife fell down the stairs and broke her hip and leg. He believes the incident could have been avoided if the lift had been working.
Oliver said residents have repeatedly reported the faulty lift to the caretaker, but little to no action has been taken.
“The lift has not been working for some time. We keep reporting it, but nothing gets done,” he said.
He also alleged that the caretaker is often unavailable when residents need assistance.
Oliver expressed concern for other vulnerable residents living in the building, including elderly people, saying the broken lift places them at risk.
“We are old people here; this is not okay,” he said.
He further claimed that strong winds on May 10 caused part of the roof to collapse from a section of the building.
According to Oliver, the incident is another indication that the facility is not being properly maintained.
“The building is falling apart because it is not maintained,” he said.
The incident has raised further concerns among residents about maintenance and service delivery issues at the facility, with some claiming that infrastructure problems are being ignored despite repeated complaints.
Ward 106 councillor Tim Denny provided further context on the situation, saying the lift has been out of service for three weeks.
“The lift has been out for three weeks. I can confirm that the city’s Real Estate Department and Electricity Department are in conflict over who is responsible for fixing the lift, but the city is again trying to source funds to get it fixed. The lift needs a cut unit breaker,” said Denny.
The Alberton Record has contacted the City of Ekurhuleni regarding the allegations and is awaiting a response.
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