JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – Reuven Senior Resident’s Association, held the Annual report-back meeting on Wednesday October 29 at the Reuven Complex Communal hall with ANC Ward 124 councilor, Cllr Radebe.
In his opening address, Mr Jerry Theys, secretary of the Association, said the pensioners took a severe blow when the huge rental increase was implemented for the period 2012-2013 by the Johannesburg Housing department.
The increase affected residents of all the Council-owned old age retirement complexes in the various regions of Johannesburg.
A pensioner living in a single unit who has been paying a monthly rental of R150 was now expected to pay R242, and the proposed tariff increase for 2014-2015 is R255.
For the double units the R230 monthly rentals were increased to R484 and the 2014-2015 proposed tariff increase will be R510.
For a pensioner who receives a monthly government pension of R1 350, it is almost impossible to survive against the ever-increasing cost of living, making it extremely difficult for them to make ends meet.
Most pensioners will accept a 10 per cent increase from their monthly pensions of R1 350, which translates to R135 per month for the rent.
Cllr. Sidney Radebe, sympathised with the pensioners and advised them to draw up a petition requesting a reduction of the monthly rental. He will personally submit the petitions to the Petition’s Board.
Pensioners complain about certain staff being lazy and insufficient maintenance. They said some of the staff members charge them money when they help them fix things.
“As councillor I support and represent the people. I want all of them to be happy and afford essentials so they could live like everyone else,” added Cllr. Radebe, who also advised the seniors to adopt stokvels, which are popular in the townships and help seniors afford to give each other decent funerals.
This he said, because on various occasions seniors were buried without family members and there was not enough financial support to have the decent funerals the seniors deserved.
