Hundreds of residents in Sophiatwon have been without water for several weeks
The Limpopo buildings suffer unhygienic and untenable living conditions as water cut due to billing saga.
The Limpopo building complex along Milner Road and Tucker Steet in Sophiatown has been without water for over a month.
Theo Doyle, Patriotic Alliance councillor for Ward 86 says, “Residents say Johannesburg Water (JW) came to disconnect the water due to non-payment. We followed up with the responsible agent who confirmed there are outstanding payments.
“According to the Constitution, Section 27 1(b) everyone has the right to sufficient water and these residents do not have access to water. It is a basic human right.”
Families with young children, the elderly and others are all suffering in unhygienic conditions.
Residents are questioning what they are paying levies for when basic services are not delivered.
Doyle has been in contact with JW for an intervention to find an agreement to restore water. “I hope for a positive outcome.”
Ashleigh Stoltenkanp (29) pays R4 000 a month in rent to the owner of the flat she rents on the 8th floor of the Tugela building. “I have two small children, including a baby of 13 months, and my partner. It has been an absolute nightmare.”
She describes having to buy water to drink and cook with but also to wash her baby’s clothes. “My baby is teething and often gets an upset stomach; I have to really wash his clothes, which is difficult when I am buying the water.”
Her discomfort was palpable as she describes trying to keep clean when she is menstruating, “It is awful but we do the best we can to maintain our health and dignity.”
She describes her landlord as not being interested in these additional costs and has had no relief in her rent despite her disposable income being in short supply.
The elderly, infirm and other vulnerable residents are finding this situation untenable says Stoltenkanp.
Solver, the managing agents for the complex, say the situation is not as simple as it looks.
Bart Slabbert, operations manager for Solver says, “Limpopo is not a rental block. It is a sectional title structure with individual unit owners who are all shareholders in the greater Limpopo body corporate scheme.
“As Solver, we report to a board of trustees, and I need permission to share the details of what has happened here which I might not get before your publication goes to print.”
Slabbert has committed to speaking to the paper in the coming days to hopefully shed some light on this saga. It is hoped that questions raised about the electricity supply which some say has been intermittent, to the complex will be addressed. It is presumed, is linked to the billing problem.
Ward 86 Councillor Chantelle Fourie-Shawe was unavailable for comment.
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