Crumbling walls and uncut grass have residents up in arms
Residents feel they are being completely ignored and neglected by the metro.
Residents of municipal housing in Zwartkop are frustrated with the lack of maintenance by the metro.
Many feel they are being denied the basic services the metro is supposed to provide for them.
The semi-attached houses look run-down and neglected.
“We are being denied basic services,” said resident Lufono Mudau.
“These places are being completely neglected and we get no answers from the metro.”
Some of the houses have loose bricks and many walls have crumbled and fallen over the years.
Residents claim this is unacceptable and feel unsafe in their own homes.
“It feels like these houses are falling apart.
“Our window panes are broken and cracked so the dust and wind come in.
“We even have dust falling through our ceiling onto our furniture,” said resident Marietjie Henning.
Overgrown grass and a dilapidated playing area makes it unsafe for children to play outside.
“I can’t let my child play outside without me looking out for her,” said Mudau.
“It feels like there is danger everywhere with the long grass, loose bricks and broken playing area.”
A broken water pipe has left a massive hole in the ground, and residents allege this has not been fixed in months.
The hole poses a safety hazard and makes it difficult for many to drive out of the complex.
Henning can’t use the driveway closest to her unit so she has to drive all the way around to another gate to get out.
In addition, the water has also caused part of the parking area to sink.
However the biggest and most pressing issue is safety.
Due to the long grass both inside and outside the complex on the road, residents feel vulnerable.
“It is very easy for criminals to hide in the grass, then jump over the fence.
“We have had a couple of break-ins here and we feel very exposed and unsafe,” said Mudau.
Mudau said someone tried to break into her unit while she was at work and her daughter home alone.
The palisade fence surrounding the complex has been broken on numerous occasions by criminals and residents had to repair it out of their own pocket.
They have also had to pay for garden services and electricians to render basic services.
According to Henning, many people are planning on moving out due to the lack of quality of life.
“People are packing their bags and leaving.
“It looks awful here and the metro simply doesn’t care.”
Residents have pleaded with the metro on numerous occasions but to no avail.
Comment from the metro will be published as soon as it is received.
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