Complaints about deteriorating flats
RESIDENTS of a Mariannridge municipal block of flats say they fear for their lives due to the deteriorating condition of the building.
The block houses at least 25 adults and nine children, in eight flats.
The residents say the building has severe cracks due to an unstable foundation.
Resident Trudy van Wyk said the deteriorating condition of the flat had been brought to the attention of eThekwini housing council members, as well as councillors in the area, on numerous occasions.
The Mercury has seen several records of messages and email correspondence regarding the matter.
“For more than 29 years, the flat has been in this state and deteriorating,” said Van Wyk.
She said councillors had been to view the damage but left without providing solutions.
Van Wyk said it was believed that burst pipes and ground water had caused the structural problems.
“No amount of plastering and repainting has resolved the mould issue.
“The rain makes it worse because the walls stay damp, regardless of the season,” she said.
She said leaking taps had been repaired countless times and floor tiles in the kitchen, as well as the bedrooms, had cracked due to the foundation.
“In our house, we have paintbrushes, rollers and various chemicals we used in failed attempts to stop the mould, but it hasn’t worked.”
Van Wyk said her mother’s health had deteriorated over the years.
“I, too, became sick in 2008/9 with various lung infections, from TB to pneumonia and bronchitis. The doctor explained then that my conditions were the result of the environment,” she said.
Another resident, Kenneth Botha, said his 9-year-old niece had been in and out of hospital since she was a baby and “still suffers with coughing and her chest”.
Botha believes that the flat needs to be demolished and rebuilt.
“The flat has been jacked up before, and that did not help as it is sliding down the bank,” he said.
EThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the municipality was aware of the problems with the building, and the project to deal with the structural issues was delayed by the three months of lockdown due to Covid-19.
“The block has structural defects, which are a threat to the occupants,” he said.
He said engineers were on site this week to conduct an assessment of the cause of the apparent structural failure.
He said the assessment would determine the scope of work that needed to be done and the total cost of repairs.
Mayisela said construction was expected to start in September.
Residents confirmed that an official from the municipality’s Human Settlements Department had visited to assess the flat and that pictures had also been taken of the damage.
Mayisela said the rental housing section would be meeting the occupants and the ward councillor, Reginald Cloete, to discuss logistics in terms of relocating the residents while the block was being repaired.
“Park homes as an alternative to decant (temporarily transfer) the eight families will be sourced,” he said.
The initial process of determining a suitable site in the area was under way, said Mayisela.
“Thereafter, the concerned tenants will be advised on the proposed programme of repairs to the block.”