Pensioners at Andries Scribante Haven are forced to endure saturated floors, a damp smell and dark mould due to water leaks in their apartments.
GJ Mitchell, the daughter of one of the senior citizens, told the Advertiser the leak in her 83-year-old mother’s kitchen wall has been there since early November.
According to Mitchell, the metro was made aware of the problem in November, but no one has been sent to detect the source of the leak and make repairs.
“All they could tell us was that our emails, sent with photos of the leak, damaged walls and cupboards, have been sent on.”
The frustrated family invited the Advertiser inside the elderly woman’s apartment to witness her living conditions, which has not been addressed by the municipality for months.
Water was found seeping through the cracked interior of the sodden wall full of watermarks, dripping down to the floor. The apartment smelled damp and there was dark mould on the wall and the ramshackle kitchen unit. The leak saturated the kitchen cupboards and the greyish water has collected on the kitchen floor.
“The disgusting condition my mom lives in is more than unfair and has been very devastating for us. It’s completely unacceptable for an 83-year-old pensioner to live in,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell said they worry about their mother slipping on the floor and getting injured because of the wet floor.
“I want them to prioritise this problem and get it sorted so my mom can live in a safe apartment.”
The complainants suspect that the source of the leaks could be a burst or perished pipe in the wall.
Mitchell also questioned the metro’s decision to refurbish the empty apartments for new tenants, while existing tenants are living in terrible condition
s.
Contractors to attend to Andries Scribante Haven water leaks
In its response to our enquiry, the metro acknowledged receiving the complaints about the leak at the centre, saying the problem will be attended to by its contractors.
“There is a contractor allocated to deal with all complexes in the southern region. It has been dealing with emergencies in the region for the past weeks, and should attend to the leak at Andries Scribante Haven as soon as it’s done with the other emergency matters,” said metro spokesperson Zweli Dlamini.
Also Read: Metro responds to concerns at Andries Scribante Haven
