Tafta residents ‘heartbroken’ by move to ‘prison cell’ rooms
MORE than 200 pensioners who lived at the Association for the Aged (Tafta) building in the Durban CBD have been moved to new premises.
While many are unhappy to leave their prized possessions behind to accommodate for their new space, some are glad they still have shelter.
For a 78-year-old grandmother who has lived at Tafta for more than 10 years, the move has been “heartbreaking and stressful”.
The pensioners have been moved to a new block of flats at South Beach, close to uShaka Marine World. She previously paid R1 145 to rent her flat at the building in Acutt Street.
“The rooms were spacious. It felt like a home. We had our own bathroom, kitchen and enough space to keep our stuff. Now, it feels like we are living in a prison cell.
“The rooms are so small that we can barely move around. We have to cook, eat and sleep in this little room and use a communal bathroom with two other people,” she said.
She pays the same amount to live in the new building but feels it is an “injustice” to pay such a large sum to live in such a small space.
Another elderly couple who have been living at Tafta for five years said they paid R2 640 to rent a slightly more spacious room together.
“Even the rooms for couples are ridiculous. We get R1 500 a month and combined it is R3 000. By the time we pay to live in this small space, we are left with R360 to carry us through the rest of the month. How can we survive like this when we are not even getting value for our money?”
Tafta operations manager, Fameda Shamam, said the organisation was aware the move had been distressing but had tried to make it as easy as possible.
She said the move was necessary because the old building needed to undergo “costly” upgrades.