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Blocked drains disrupt life for Silverton residents in aging building

The metro says the rental collection rate is very low - at 6%.

After nearly a month of distress, residents of the Tshwane metro-owned block of flats JJ Bosmanhuis in Silverton finally got relief from their blocked drainage nightmare.

According to the residents, the drains at the over-50-year-old building have been occurring for years.

A resident at the flats Mashudu Selokela said they had endured blocked drains since December despite repeated reports to Tshwane.

“This situation was a health concern and very dangerous.”

He said the flats also have overgrown grass and trees which are not attended to on time.

“The services we get are very poor. We have an issue of general upkeep as there are no cleaners like before, the flat is dirty.”

Selokela claimed that the tenants withheld their rentals because the metro did not maintain the building.

“In this flat, we do everything by ourselves, we fix on our own and this flat was not renovated like others.”

He said the overflowing drainage and leaking pipes had become part of their lives.

The flats are described as neglected, riddled with man-made trenches and full of dirty water, while the street is a stream because of the water leaks deriving from the flats.

The blocked drain pipes were allegedly reported to the Tshwane metro in December, however, they were never serviced, causing frustrations among residents.

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The pipes were only unblocked on January 18, according to Tshwane.

The metro argued that its slow response was fuelled by a payment crisis that weighed heavily on its ability to allocate resources and promptly address maintenance issues.

The Tshwane metro also said that the delayed response was a result of the “culture of non-payment” at JJ Bosmanhuis flats.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said there’s a dedicated caretaker at the flats who manages and reports all maintenance-related issues.

“The building (JJ Bosmanhuis) has a dedicated caretaker residing on the premises. The caretaker reports all maintenance issues relating to the building to the maintenance staff who will then attend to the upkeep issues.”

He said the metro and Housing Company Tshwane were currently working together to attend to the blockage and overgrown grass. The plan is to start work on January 22.

Mashigo said the city is responsible for the administration and management of the low-income rental stock, however, it’s not a primary revenue generation but contributes marginally through the city-owned rental stock, including hostels.

He said it is important to note that the rental is for low-income tenants and the stock is in very serious need of refurbishment.

“There is a culture of non-payment of rentals and services, which makes it a challenge for the city to increase revenue collection to carry out the day-to-day property management-related services as required,” Mashigo said.

He said unfortunately, the rental collection rate is very low – at 6% which means that, on average, for quarter 2 the metro received only R28 717 instead of R362 832 which is only 8% for the Bosmanhuis building.

“The tenants are not paying their rent, which contributes to the insufficient maintenance budget.”

Mashigo added that the metro has other programmes which assist the tenants who are in financial distress and social development-related tenants can be assisted under the indigent programme and food bank initiatives.

He said the health and safety issues at the flats are concerns to the city hence the municipality is working on a reasonable turnaround time.

“Taking into consideration that the building is over 60 years old and plumbing material (pipes) that was used is galvanised which has fallen into disrepair due to rust and eventually bursts.

“The city is also in the process of appointing service providers that will deal with all high-rise buildings and attend to emergency maintenance issues. During July 2024, the fire hose and fire extinguishers were serviced.”

Mashigo said the city is in the process of transferring its rental stock to the Housing Company Tshwane (HCT) for management and the JJ Bosmanhuis building is included.

“The maintenance schedule is affected by the non-payment of rentals by the tenants.”

He said the tenants at the flats are encouraged to pay the rentals so that the metro can fully maintain the properties.

“The transfer to HCT is crucial, as the entity can apply for the necessary funding from external sources to renovate the high-rise buildings and ensure buildings meet all building norms as well as standards.”

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