WATCH: Actonville residents protest as metro raises rent, neglects housing
“Our sanctuary has become a death trap.” Actonville council flat residents speak out against rising rents, unsafe housing and years of neglect as they demand answers from the metro.
“We are living like dogs, and the metro doesn’t care. They are pushing us deeper into squalor.”
This sentiment echoed through the streets on June 11 as hundreds of residents from the 11 council-owned flats in Actonville protested peacefully. They accuse the CoE of continually marginalising the poor.
Holding aloft handwritten placards, tenants voiced their frustration at the metro for ignoring repeated calls to engage on mounting debt, inadequate maintenance and what they call unethical rent hikes.
As a thick mist settled over the city, revealing only the cracked rooftops of Delhi, Karachi, Agra, Aligarh, Ajmery, Bangalore, Lahore, Aloe, Azalea, Flora, and Primrose courts, the 538 tenants of the CoE rental units desperately tried to draw attention to their plight.
“My wife and I have never known a home other than our unit in Karachi Court,” said 76-year-old Paul Singh, rubbing his arthritic hands against the cold.
“For 56 years, we have raised our family and built our future here. We always took pride in our home, but our sanctuary has become a death trap. Water seeps through the walls, and mould covers every surface.
“We’ve lodged countless complaints with the metro, but they never fix anything. My wife is ill, and our home is killing us.”
Enid Singh, who has lived in Bangalore Court for 36 years, said unrealistic payment plans for her rent arrears force her to choose between buying food and keeping a roof over her head.
“When my rent increased from R400 to R900 a month, I fell behind,” she said. “I asked the department to negotiate a repayment plan, but they showed no humility. Now they expect me to pay an additional R1,300 every month.”
“If I’m struggling to pay rent, where do they expect me to find extra money? I acknowledge I owe the municipality, but they should show some humility and set a reasonable repayment plan.”
According to Mitchell Pillay, he was assigned an abandoned unit in Karachi Court in 2021.
“The unit was stripped bare. I rewired and refurbished it at my expense after the department said it had no funds for repairs. I received no compensation, yet my rent is R2 200,” Pillay said.
“How is that fair? I’m not living; I’m merely surviving in a flat I had to rebuild from scratch. The council is exploiting us.”
Madalene Erasmus of the Actonville Council Flats Community Committee said residents’ frustration continues to mount.
“These housing complexes are crumbling under our feet. The structures are unsafe, yet our rent keeps rising mercilessly,” Erasmus said.
“None of us expect to live for free, but many of us have lived in these flats for decades and paid our dues. We believe long-term residents should be given title deeds. We also demand proper maintenance of our homes and complexes to ensure the safety and security of all residents.
“Seeing the complexes deteriorate, we wonder where the money is going.”
The Benoni City Times approached the CoE for comment but had received none at the time of publication.
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