Residents of Riebeek Flats in Krugersdorp feel unheard due to their poor living conditions and dilapidated living spaces.

The estate is managed by Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) and mainly houses elderly residents who rely on SASSA grants to get by. Over the years, the municipality has made promises to address the issues faced by residents; however, no significant progress has been made.

The News visited the residence and witnessed elderly residents living in squalor. Geysers were broken, some residents did not have bedding, and some alleged being victimised by municipal workers during their rare visits. It is alleged that no major maintenance has been done at the flats for almost 30 years.

Other allegations include that some tenants, such as Danica Snyman (75), have been without hot water for eight years and are forced to boil water or get hot water from neighbours. Some tenants even have to bathe at neighbours’ homes due to the hot water problem. Another concern raised is that a single security guard on duty cannot effectively patrol the entire property, and that the walls can be easily scaled, raising safety concerns given the area’s higher crime levels in the CBD.

Another resident, Johan Nortier, claimed that when municipal workers come to perform maintenance, they often cause more damage than they repair.

“There are times when we have to fix the lights and some of the issues on the property, like paving and the lights. When municipal workers are done, they often leave the mess they made behind, not considering our living space,” he said.

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Residents raise long-standing concerns

According to Mogale City Ward 20 councillor Mark Trump, despite escalations to the municipality, no meaningful efforts have been made to assist the elderly residents.

“The state of the Van Riebeeck Flats is an utter disgrace. For years, residents and I have repeatedly reported to Mogale City the need for basic maintenance: working lights, functioning geysers, and even simple grass cutting. The dignity of the elderly and vulnerable people living there continues to be ignored by the municipality and its leadership. We’ve raised this publicly as far back as December 2023, including the Krugersdorp News, and shamefully, little has changed,” he said.

At the recent council meeting on March 25, Trump formally raised a matter that was previously promised to residents by Mayor Lucky Sele regarding their safety. In the 2025/2026 Integrated Development Plan (IDP), R1.5 million was approved and budgeted to fence all four municipal properties belonging to Mogale City: Van Riebeeck Flats (Ward 20), President, Pioneer and Jack Cotton Flats (Ward 38).

“The administration now claims 100% delivery on this promise in the IDP 2025/2026, yet Van Riebeeck and Pioneer Flats, the first quarter and fourth quarter deliverables, were removed from the programme despite being budgeted for. The MMC for Corporate Support Services attributed this to the budget adjustment not being passed; however, this item was budgeted at R1.5 million in the 2025/2026 budget. What was the need for further funding? Is the fence around Jack Cotton and President Flats worth R1.5 million? This raises many concerns,” Trump said.

“The full budget was allocated. Two properties were simply dropped,” Trump concluded.

Municipality responds

MCLM responded to the enquiries the News posed. According to the municipality’s head of corporate communications, Adrian Amod, the municipality is aware of the concerns affecting residents at the Van Riebeeck Flats.

“It is important to note that the facility is ageing and requires significant investment to address the scale of refurbishment needed. Due to current financial constraints within this financial year, the municipality will undertake a comprehensive condition assessment in the new financial year commencing July this year,” said Amod.

He added that qualified professionals will conduct an assessment to determine the full extent of the challenges and to inform a feasible, long-term intervention plan. Once completed, it will guide both budget allocation and the phased implementation of the required upgrades.

While the municipality provides subsidised accommodation at rental rates below the actual cost of maintenance, residents are also encouraged to play their part in maintaining the units and shared spaces.

Maintenance at the facility has been undertaken on a reactive basis, responding to service or maintenance requests received from residents or through the municipality’s Human Settlements Division. Interventions conducted include attending to blocked drains, repairing leaking taps, and fixing faulty electrical connections related to security lighting, among others. These efforts are ongoing, although they are primarily focused on immediate and urgent issues.

Amod concluded that the municipality continues to respond to complaints raised by residents using available resources to address immediate concerns. However, most required interventions are capital-intensive and will be addressed more comprehensively following the outcome of the condition assessment.