The old-age home’s dire conditions pose a great danger to its residents

The local old-age home in Joubert Street is no safe haven for the elderly. Alex and Loret Pohl live in fear of their ceiling giving way.

After the geyser was damaged and has been leaking for years.

Alexa Nel, the daughter of the couple, said the situation is bad and it is not only her parents who are going through unbearable conditions.

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“For 11 years we have been asking the municipality to assist them.  After a long struggle Philip Minnaar and Elsabe Jacobs were able to have the geyser and toilet fixed by the municipality.

“They replaced the geyser with a new one, but the ceiling is completely broken open where they placed it. They promised to repair the damage, but there has been no sign of them.

“It was leaking about 80 litres per day and the leakage damaged the ceiling.

“The geyser is not the only problem in the area. The toilets are also problematic, the drain constantly gets blocked and the rubbish gets pushed up into the kitchen sink.

“I am not only asking for assistance for my parents. This also for all the pensioners living in that place.”

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Loret said she wished the municipality would send people to fix their ceiling.

“I do not know if the ceiling will fall and I do not know if it is safe, because the damage caused by the water is severe. “I managed to get people to fix the constantly blocking drain.” Loret said she was grateful for the help that she had received from Minnaar and Jacobs. “They never gave up on helping me. They kept calling the municipality to inform them that I still need assistance. They also called to check on the situation. I truly appreciate them for what they did.”

At the time of going to press, City of Mbombela Local Municipality had not responded to the newspaper’s enquiry.