Housing MMC orders illegal occupiers of old-age homes to leave

Member of the Mayoral Committee for Housing in the City of Johannesburg councillor Mlungisi Mabaso has issued a stern warning to those illegally occupying senior citizen villages or old-age homes to vacate immediately before the department takes legal action.

Moffat View Old Age Home and Nancefield Retirement Village in Eldorado Park are among those the MMC is targeting.

It has emerged that several senior citizen villages are occupied by people who do not qualify to live in them.

Some tenants live with their families who do not qualify to live in the rental stock for senior citizens as the minimum criteria is above the age of 55.

Some pensioners are living with their children and grandchildren in some of these facilities to a point whereby some of their children have inherited the units when they die.

This stock is meant to be the gap to independent living for pensioners who can still take care of themselves and do not require frail care.

“It’s disturbing that the facilities have become a breeding ground for illegal activities, such as drug and alcohol abuse in and around the facilities,” said a shocked Mabaso.

He said this has compromised the safety and security of the vulnerable senior citizens who should live in these facilities peacefully.

“They are blocking deserving senior citizens who should occupy these facilities. We will, unfortunately, have to take legal action should they not vacate voluntarily,” he noted.

Mabaso called for an urgent occupancy audit to determine who is occupying the units and who should vacate immediately. He also ordered an investigation into how the rules were flouted and allowed so many people to illegally occupy the units.

A visit to Moffat View Old Age Home is imminent.