Pauline Davis Court: Put the kettle on, granny needs a bath
“The elderly risk severe injury in order to enjoy a warm bath, yet it seems no one care.”
Pots and a kettle boil in unison as Shirley Krishendevi starts her evening routine.
The autumn sun is steadily making its way towards the west and the long shadows of Pauline Davis Court’s silhouette foretell another chilly evening is on its way.
With great effort, Shirley and seven other residents of this council-owned housing complex for the aged, spend their afternoons lugging water from the kitchen to the bathroom, taking extra care to ensure the swooshing water does not scold their hands.
“It has been four months of having to boil water. I boil two kettles and two large pots every day to bathe in a shallow plastic basin,” said the resident of 18 years.
“Many of our geysers started giving trouble in December. During the summer months, it was not so bad, but with the colder weather the simple task of taking a bath has become a tedious process,” Shirley said.
According to her, the matter of faulty geysers has been reported to the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) Human Settlements Department on countless occasions, yet no replacement units have been installed.
The head of the department allegedly told complainants that the contractor responsible for the replacement of the geysers is in the process of undergoing a name change.
Due to this, job cards cannot be issued until he (the contractor) has supplied the department with the relevant documents confirming that the name change has been completed.
“Fed up with waiting, I enlisted the help of a private contractor. According to him, the isolator switch is faulty but he refused to replace it, saying that he is not accredited to work on municipal infrastructure,” Shirley explained. “If he had undertaken the repair he could have faced a hefty fine.”
Sorry, metro says
Responding to questions on the issue from Benoni City Times, CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, issued a brief statement which read: “The department acknowledges the service breakdown and deeply regrets the delay and inconvenience caused to the tenants. The geysers will be repaired as soon as all paperwork is finalised.”
No further comment was provided.
Abuse
Walking through her one-bedroom unit, Krishendevi moves with measured steps.
The 70-year-old has to undergo physiotherapy after she suffered a muscle injury in her hip.
“I lifted the pot off the stove when I felt this sharp stabbing pain in my side,” she said.
“They say that physio will help but cautioned that I should not lift anything heavy. Little do they know our circumstances at Pauline Davis.”
Highlighting the plight of her mother and neighbours, Reka Ramsamy, Shirley’s daughter, says it is disgraceful that the elderly residents are being subjected to such living conditions.
“It is nothing short of abuse. They are paying rent yet essential services are not rendered. I wonder if the council officials would be satisfied with this level of service.
“It is getting colder. Our parents are not as strong as they used to be and expecting them to carry heavy pots and buckets of water to clean themselves is cruel.”
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