Elderly residents living at the Noycedale Flats in Nigel, a facility owned and operated by the City of Ekurhuleni, have raised serious concerns over ongoing maintenance problems and poor service delivery at the complex.

The facility, which consists of 36 residential units, has reportedly been plagued by leaking and malfunctioning hot water geysers for nearly 10 months.

Residents say that seven geysers are currently not working and that repeated complaints to the municipality have yielded little to no response.

Johan van der Berg (73) said the situation has become increasingly frustrating for elderly occupants who rely on hot water, especially during winter.

“Whenever you complain about the problem, nothing gets done and they always make false promises. Last year, I was in the hospital when the geyser pipes burst. I had to pay someone myself on more than one occasion to come and fix it.

“The geysers are electric and solar-powered, so when the sun is out, you do not need to use electricity. But now, because it is winter, the water is cold and we cannot bathe properly. We are grateful to live here because it is peaceful, but the maintenance issues need to be addressed because we pay rent,” he said.

Another resident, Daniela van der Berg (72), highlighted additional challenges affecting the elderly community.

“We need the municipality to come and fix the geysers because we are old and cannot use cold water. Another issue is the water shortages.

“We went without water for 19 days. They bring water tankers, but carrying buckets becomes a major challenge for us. There are also bags of rubbish that have not been collected,” she said.

Wheelchair-bound resident Petros de Beer (73), who has lived at the facility for more than 20 years, said the conditions have become increasingly difficult.

“My geyser is also not working and I have to carry a kettle with hot water, which is difficult because I use a wheelchair. When they bring water tankers, I cannot carry buckets because I use my hands to control the wheelchair. I had to repair a burst water pipe myself using a washing machine pipe because assistance is not coming,” he said.

Another resident, who asked not to be named, said residents are often forced to maintain parts of the property themselves.

“We have to cut the grass ourselves and help maintain the facility. There is also a vacant unit that has been deteriorating for more than two years.

“There are workers employed to look after this place, but residents feel little is being done. The pipes are old and rusted, because sometimes brown water comes out before the clean water starts flowing,” he said. Comment is awaited from the City of Ekurhuleni.