Residents of Westdene’s Eeufees Oord Retirement Home have publicly voiced mounting frustration over deteriorating living conditions, raising concerns about safety, maintenance failures and what they described as prolonged neglect.

The issues were brought to the fore during a meeting with Ward 69 councillor Genevieve Sherman on May 6, where residents detailed problems ranging from mould and broken gutters to a lack of security on the premises. Some said they feared for their lives, citing incidents where taps had been stolen without any meaningful response or follow-up maintenance.

Many of the concerns, residents said, stretch back months, with little visible intervention. Sherman acknowledged the complaints, pointing to broader systemic challenges within the City of Joburg.

Read more: Eeufees Oord Old Age Home resident celebrates century of faith, family, and fortitude

She described the city as being in the grip of a financial crisis, which has significantly affected service delivery, particularly in housing and human settlements. “The biggest problem we have is the fact that there’s no maintenance happening anywhere,” she said, adding that the situation has left vulnerable residents, particularly the elderly, exposed to hardship.

Sherman noted that efforts are underway [by?] to address some of the immediate issues. Repairs already carried out include replacing stolen taps, fixing gutters and planning for gate repairs. However, she stated that progress has been uneven and often reliant on external assistance. “It’s sad to see that the city has deteriorated to where we are now, where we have to depend on donors to fix up a facility that belongs to the city,” Sherman said.

She emphasised that while the intervention [by] is not politically driven, the suffering of elderly residents, including individuals as old as 90, has made the situation urgent and deeply concerning. “It’s very, very unfair that in their twilight years, they have to still sit and suffer with situations such as these,” she said.

Also read: Concerns rise over illegal occupancy and budget constraints at Eeufees Oord Old Age Home

Despite the frustrations, Sherman described the meeting as ‘reasonably successful,’ saying it created space for residents to be heard and for some immediate steps to be outlined. The meeting also exposed divisions among residents themselves. Some attendees raised concerns that while many people are quick to complain on WhatsApp groups, fewer are willing to attend meetings and raise issues directly.

Sherman suggested this could reflect a mix of frustration, fatigue and a loss of hope in the system.“It could be people who have just generally given up hope,” she said, urging residents not to disengage entirely. “We are all suffering with the same problems; we can only do that if we stand together as a collective.”

Security, she added, remains the most urgent concern, followed by the need for proper lighting and ongoing maintenance. Sherman closed by calling for unity among residents and a renewed sense of civic participation, stressing that meaningful change would require collective action. For now, residents of Eeufees Oord remain watchful, hoping that promises made in the meeting will translate into tangible improvements in the weeks ahead.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!