Residents of Riebeek Flats say they are still living in poor conditions despite repeated calls for the municipality to address ongoing maintenance issues at the complex.

In April, the Krugersdorp News visited the property and found clear signs of neglect. The News spoke to numerous residents who said many basic amenities were either faulty or no longer functioning. They claimed the water supply was unreliable, several geysers were broken, and some had been without hot water for months. Some also alleged they had been victimised by municipal workers during their infrequent visits.

• Read the article here: Riebeek Flats residents live in squalor as complaints mount

Most of the residents are pensioners who rely on SASSA grants. Resident Johan Noter said that when municipal workers do visit the property, maintenance work is often only partially completed or the reported issues remain unresolved, despite residents paying rent.

Another resident, Rika Snyman, said residents have at times had to repair lights and attend to problems themselves.

“When municipal workers are done, they often leave the mess they made behind without considering our living space,” she said.

According to Mogale City Ward 20 councillor Mark Trump, the condition of the property was formally raised with the municipality earlier this year. He said residents had previously been given assurances that their safety concerns would be addressed.

Trump added that the 2025/ 26 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) allocated R1.5m to fence four municipal properties owned by Mogale City: Van Riebeeck Flats (Ward 20), President Flats, Pioneer Flats and Jack Cotton Flats (Ward 38). However, residents say many of the maintenance issues at the flats remain unresolved.

Mogale City’s head of corporate communications Adrian Amod said the municipality conducts regular inspections through its Building Maintenance Section to assess the condition of the property and identify maintenance needs.

He said routine maintenance is carried out in response to reported faults, including plumbing problems such as blocked drains, as well as other repair requests submitted by residents. These repairs are undertaken using available resources and materials.

“The municipality acknowledges that some of the maintenance challenges require more extensive rehabilitation, which will be informed by a comprehensive condition assessment to be undertaken by an appointed professional service provider, subject to the availability of funding,” said Amod.

He also disputed the allegation that municipal workers fail to address reported problems.

“The municipality does not agree with this allegation. All maintenance requests are logged on the municipality’s MunSoft system, where each complaint is assigned a reference number for tracking purposes,” he said.

Amod added that residents receive confirmation once a request has been logged, followed by another notification when the work order has been completed. Where repairs cannot be completed, he said it is generally due to the extent of the work required or resource and budget constraints, rather than a lack of commitment by municipal staff.