THE Booysens family from Gordon House in South Hills are at their wits’ end with the condition of their unit.
They demand a solution in regards to water leaks which are damaging the walls.
According to Clyde Booysens the water comes from the burst pipes outside the unit.
This has resulted in damage of clothes, furniture, walls and it is creating a health hazard.
The unit has an unbearable smell inside and outside and almost every room in the unit is in ruins.
The bathroom has leaking taps, the bedroom’s ceiling is damaged and kitchen walls are cracked.
They have been experiencing this misery since moving into the unit in 2015.
What was supposed to be the greatest thing ever, having a unit to move into, turned into nightmare for the family.
Booysens told the COURIER they can’t even paint or renovate their unit because of the severe damage.
“We can’t do anything to the unit because everything is disintegrating. We tried fixing things ourselves but the problem resurfaces again.
“We had a full case of clothes we had to throw away because it got ruined.
“We have been trying to acquire help from various people, more especially from Ward 57 councillor Faeeza Chame,” said Booysens.
Booysens said they can’t even have visitors over because of the way their unit looks.
“We want to live a normal life like other people who have clean homes and well-painted walls.
“We can paint the walls but these burst pipes needs to be attended to before we can do so,” he said.
Chame said most of the units have similar problems and it is not only the Booysens family experiencing such problems.
“The structure is very old and due to budget restraints, maintenance are not done on these units on a regular basis.
“A few weeks back housing sent out a plumber to do the repairs. The repairs were very poorly done because after a week the water started coming through the residents’ ceiling again. I went there myself to inspect it.
“The matter was referred back to the housing department. I’m very concerned with how most of the units look inside because of the water leaks,” said Chame.
