Residents of JJ Bosmanhuis in Silverton have been served with eviction notices, with deadlines ranging from just 30 days to six months, as the metro moves to clear out the nearly 70-year-old social housing building that has now been declared unsafe for human habitation.

According to the metro, at least 568 units will be evacuated.

Tenants have been divided into five categories, with illegal occupants and property owners given 30 days to leave, employed tenants 60 days, and the elderly, indigent and unemployed granted up to six months before the building is emptied.

The building has not undergone major renovations since 2008/09 and continues to face structural and maintenance challenges.

Because of this, it is decaying, with persistently leaking pipes, cracks in the walls, sewage spillages, leaking roofs, and faulty electrical boxes.

The metro says its ability to maintain the property has been constrained by limited maintenance budgets and very low rental payment levels (7–8%), making it increasingly difficult to keep the building safe and habitable.

It adds that tenants at the building have been withholding rental, and that this culture of non-payment has led to their inability to carry out maintenance work.

However, the house committee alleges that the metro has neglected the building, and because of this, some residents withheld rent deliberately.

They also claim they have requested meetings with the metro, which referred them to Housing Company Tshwane that never arrived as scheduled, and kept postponing the meetings.

As far back as 2016, new tenants who moved into the already dilapidated units found their lease agreements did not match the condition of the accommodation they were given.

They were then told the city had no funds for repairs and were encouraged to fix their units at their own cost, with the promise that they would receive claim forms to recover their expenses or have their rental fees reduced as reimbursement.

However, tenants say these refunds and reimbursements never materialised.

The chairman of the housing committee at the flats, Mashudu Selokela, claims that tenants have withheld their rental payments because the metro failed to maintain the building.

“In this flat, we do everything ourselves. We fix things on our own, and this flat was never renovated like the others,” he said.

He added that overflowing drainage systems and leaking pipes had become a normal part of daily life for residents.

He accused the city of making decisions that affect people’s lives without ever consulting them, saying, “Tshwane has never involved the tenants in anything, but all they do is dictate to the tenants.

“We understand that they declared the building unsafe, but had they renovated earlier, we would not be in this crisis.”

Selokela said what is most painful for residents is the metro is pushing them out without giving them realistic alternatives.

“The city is chasing tenants without alternative accommodation,” he said.

“As much as some are working, they chose to stay at the building because the rental was what they could afford. The city told tenants that there are flats they can rent and houses they can buy. If we had the means, we would not have resided in JJ Bosmanhuis in the first place.”

He said many families at JJ Bosmanhuis are living on the edge of poverty, and the city’s evacuation orders feel like being thrown into the cold.

“Most of the tenants here are vulnerable people, pensioners, unemployed residents, single mothers, and disabled people. If they are chased away, where does the city expect them to go?”

According to Selokela, this approach shows a lack of understanding of the actual circumstances in the building.

“Tshwane does not care about residents or anything. People here cannot afford expensive rent. They cannot buy houses. They cannot pay monthly mortgage bonds. This building was the only place they could hold on to.”

He said that even the cheapest rentals suggested by the metro are far beyond the reach of many families living at JJ Bosmanhuis.

“What Tshwane calls affordable housing alternatives is not affordable to us.

“There is no real alternative for people who are already struggling to survive.”

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the city is in consultation with affected tenants to share the plan to address the non-compliance of the buildings and ensure the safety of the tenants in JJ Bosmanhuis.

He said the metro is obligated to ensure compliance with the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act.

“[The] city referred to the contravention notices which state that the building is dilapidated or in a state of disrepair or shows signs thereof. It orders the immediate removal of all persons occupying or working in the building and requires the city to demolish, alter or secure it within 21 days. Failure to comply will result in legal proceedings in terms of Section 12(6),” Mashigo explained.

He said, as the major issues are related to infrastructure such as sewerage, water, and electricity, the city will only be able to conduct building and structural assessments once the buildings are empty/evacuated.

Mashigo explained that the city will assist the elderly by transferring them to self-sufficient elderly accommodation.

“The unemployed and low-income individuals will be given six months’ notice to look for alternative accommodation as per the emergency housing policy. Information regarding other accommodation options were made available to the tenants on the day of the public participation meeting.

“Those illegally occupying the units, those who are employed, those who previously benefited from government housing subsidies and those who own/ed properties will not be assisted as per policy.”

According to Mashigo, the building will be refurbished after evacuation and used for social and affordable housing accommodation; however, refurbishment will only begin once funding is available.

Responding to criticism about the impact on vulnerable long-term residents, Mashigo stated the metro values the lives of the tenants and must comply with the non-compliance notices to ensure safety.

He added that the building has always been rental accommodation governed by a lease agreement that allows termination, and with the building declared unsafe, the landlord is not able to fulfil its obligations of offering safe accommodation, thus the need to evacuate the occupants.

JJ Bosmanhuis is one of several social housing buildings to be evacuated.

MMC for Human Settlements, Alderman Aaron Maluleka, added that the decision to evacuate the buildings followed extensive inspections and consultations aimed at ensuring all municipal rental properties meet required health, safety, and building compliance standards for the well-being of the tenants.

The affected buildings include Blesbok, Bosbok, Ou Stalshoogte, Nuwe Stalshoogte, Die Heuwel, Groenveld, and JJ Bosmanhuis.

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