MMC of Housing visits Donovan MacDonald Retirement Village to address complaints
Security issues caused by Illegal occupants among the greatest concern
The reaching of retirement comes with an expectation of tranquility and a peaceful existence.
The rumblings of disgruntled residents at Donovan MacDonald Retirement Village have steadily grown from a patter to a roar. For several years, residents have complained about maintenance and security issues, as well as the prevalence of illegal occupants. With that growing increasingly worse, MMC for Housing, Mlungisi Mabaso, led a City of Johannesburg delegation on a site visit to investigate complaints on February 16.
After a briefing with the village’s caretakers, MMC Mabaso took a walk around the grounds identifying problem areas and problematic occupants. The government facility caters for retirees over 60 who pay a nominal fee for a flat or bungalow. The illegal occupants are generally the young generations of existing residents, with some essentially hijacking the unit once the senior family member passes on.
MMC Mabaso and his team quizzed one man who due to his age would be ineligible to live at the facility. The man, who did not wish to be named, claimed he was being made a scapegoat as he believed up to 60% of the units were housing younger family members. This figure was disputed by the officials, with MMC Mabaso stressing that their investigations would lead to the issuing of eviction notices.
Eviction processes have already begun for some illegal occupants but MMC Mabaso revealed that many are trying to fight the evictions by taking the City to the Gauteng Rental Housing Tribunal. As the process of getting approval to live in the facility is not an agreement between a landlord and a tenant, MMC Mabaso feels these last-ditch efforts to halt their removal will fall flat. The MMC is giving the illegal occupants an opportunity to leave the facility voluntarily but insists they will inevitably be evicted.
The issue of security and the illegal occupants go hand in hand as the failure to document residents properly leaves gaps for criminals to exploit. Those living at Donovan MacDonald legally have pointed out that those manning the front gate are to blame, stressing the need for more sophisticated access control. MMC Mabaso did confirm that access control was part of the cost analysis being compiled to address the overall security issues.
Additional security concerns included the perimeter fencing which has vandalised sections of barbed wire, malfunctioning CCTV camera and a series of thefts inside the facility. “This exposes the residents to criminal elements and other social ills. We need to prioritise our senior citizens and give them the respect they deserve because we are here to serve these residents” said MMC Mabaso.
The MMC and his team took a tour of several units of residents who sought explanations on general maintenance queries. Officials explained that budgetary constraints were hampering their efforts, a tune heard many times in past years. Harmony at the facility is almost non-existent, with the only melody coming from residents being an off-key symphony of sorrow.
