“A vetted contractor has been appointed by the City of Ekurhuleni’s Department of Human Settlements, and maintenance issues at municipal-owned housing complexes will be addressed.”

This statement was issued by the CoE spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, following the Benoni City Times’ February 27 article, regarding the mounting maintenance issues facing the 120 residents of Deneys Conradie Residentia, a municipal housing complex for the elderly.

Residents of the Railway Avenue complex were up in arms on February 19 when a meeting with the department, in conjunction with Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s office, was cancelled at the last minute.

The consultation was initially scheduled for February 9, but was rescheduled by the Department of Human Settlements.

“Representatives of the department were redirected to attend to an unplanned matter and could therefore not uphold their commitment to the residents,” said Dlamini.

“Public meetings can be cancelled as soon as it is noted that key stakeholders cannot attend.”

Despite residents’ fury, no new date for a meeting has been communicated, leaving them feeling disappointed at yet another lost opportunity to voice their concerns.

Resident Anand Kanthan, a resident for three years, explained that among the burning issues on the agenda was the proposal to establish a residents’ association with an elected committee.

“Our units are riddled with water leaks, electrical issues and security concerns. Most of the residents are over the age of 80, yet they are expected to go directly to the department to log complaints,” he said.

“A dedicated committee could serve as a middleman, receiving complaints to the department. We could also be permitted to conduct minor repairs, thus cutting costs and assisting with quicker turnaround times.”

In response to this request, Dlamini said the department will engage with residents to determine whether the majority is in favour of the proposal.

“Should this be the case, a residents’ association will replace the duties of the current caretaker, who is a resident of the complex and was elected by the department on a voluntary basis,” he said.

“These decisions can only be made once a new meeting date has been scheduled.”

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