Residents put in flat panic over lease deal
Fear same fate as the people of Bromwell Street awaits them
THEY fear the same will happen to them that has happened to the people of Bromwell Street in Woodstock and nearby Albert Road. Even if their landlord is the Western Cape provincial government.
Tenants living in the De Waal Drive flats, with spectacular views of the city, have been forced to sign new lease agreements only valid for three years. If they refuse to sign, the provincial government said it would assume that they don’t want to stay on.
Although Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela’s spokesperson, Ntomboxolo Makoba-Somdaka, said no-one would be evicted, tenants don’t trust the department.
“The new lease agreements will be more detailed and were created to ensure that tenants and landlords are covered per legislation.
“The old leases were created many years ago and do not sufficiently cover the landlord and tenant per legislation.”
She said a lot of things that were not covered by the old agreement would be covered in the new leases, and there is a renewal option.
“The department is not evicting or moving anyone out of the city.
“De Waal Drive tenants were provided with new leases and no tenant who fulfils the new or old lease agreements can be moved or evicted.”
Some residents said they were concerned that they would not be able to renew their leases, as that was not in the contract.
Fuad Isaacs, who has been living in the flats for 15 years, said he experienced forced removals when his family was evicted from District Six and didn’t want the same thing to happen to him and his children.
“The lease is so vague, it doesn’t say what happens after the three years.
“They say if you don’t come renew (it), ‘we will assume you (are) taking it on’ but they won’t put that in writing because they know that is their way to kick us out,” Isaacs said.
He added the last time he reported a leaking tap, he was told it would not be fixed because he had not signed his lease ....
“now our own people want to remove us from what we are used to.”
His neighbour Olive Morton said they already felt as if they are being chased out, despite being told they would not be evicted.
“They are not forcing us, but their actions are forcing us away. Because of the living conditions, they make it unbearable for you. “If you phone for anything to be fixed, they ask if you signed the contract and you say ‘no’, they say, ‘no they won’t come out because you are an illegal tenant’. There is a method to their madness and as long as they are on the gravy train you don’t count.”
Morton said she had been there 35 years and it was the only place her children knew.
“We don’t want to move. This is all about money and greed and we were told that this is an areas for rich people, not us who lived here all these years.
“They have no sympathy, if you are a pensioner you are last in the queue.”
The 16 blocks of flats are currently undergoing renovations estimated at R7.8 million.
Philip Bam, chairman of the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance, said affordable housing in the city is a human right.
“People travel too far to get to work and we should make it easier for them to participate in the economy. We should not frustrate access to job opportunities. All land in cities across the country that wants to be alienated for development, they must make sure there is component of affordable housing.”