RESIDENTS living in council flats in Isipingo Hills claim that they are paying high rent to live in dilapidated homes, which have not been maintained by the municipality, and that they are victims of a “faulty billing system”.
Sunildutt Ramadhar, the spokesperson for the Isipingo Ratepayers and Residents Association, said the flats had been built in the late 1980s under the apartheid government.
“Families from Isipingo, Malagazi, Merebank, Clairwood and surrounding areas applied for housing via the then municipality and were moved to the flats in the hope of better living conditions,” said Ramadhar.
He said residents had hoped that by now the municipality would have handed them the title deeds to their homes.
Ramadhar said that since the late 1990s, the condition of the flats began to deteriorate because the municipality had failed to maintain them properly.
Residents said they had complained to the eThekwini Municipality and the Department of Human Settlements in KwaZulu-Natal, and had not received any assistance to date.
“There are approximately six affected flats. There are water leaks, damage to the infrastructure, mould on walls, broken washing lines and no proper bin facilities.
“The residents are mainly pensioners who were paying rental of between R450 and R800 a month. However, in recent months, billing reflects that the rentals have increased to over R1 800 a month. These residents don’t have enough money to cover the rent and other expenses. They have also called for the municipality and the department to hand over their title deeds, in vain.”
He said the increased rental could be attributed to a “faulty billing system”.
Resident Chellamma Sewraj, 89, moved into her flat more than 50 years ago. She now shares her home with her son.
“During the floods, water went under my property and destroyed the cement foundation in my backyard, which is very close to my lounge. We reported the matter to the municipality and a team did an inspection on the property. The money to repair the damage was allocated, but nothing has been done.”
Sewraj said she lived in fear of her property collapsing.
“The area is very unstable. If we have heavy rain again, I am afraid the area will collapse and cause further damage to my home.
“My rental was initially R600, but in recent months I have been paying R1 000. I don’t understand how my rent almost doubled. When we enquire at the municipal office, we are told the system generates the bill.”
She said life was not easy.
“I collect a grant and my son works. We pay our rent, but the municipality is turning a blind eye to the damages. I am also still waiting for the title deed to my home. We have had so many politicians making promises to us, but nothing has materialised.”
Sivalingum Govender, 64, also a pensioner, had a similar problem.
“The damage is also outside my lounge.
“Due to the heavy rain, the concrete has lifted. It is very unstable and can break at any moment. This is dangerous for people walking around. I cannot do the repairs because I am renting the home.
“We also do not have any feedback on our titles deeds.”
Govender said his rent had gone up to R1 850.
“If the home was mine, I could use the money to do the repairs.
“This has been my home for 44 years and I share it with my wife. We cannot afford to do the repairs while still paying rent.
“We have complained on numerous occasions, but nothing has been done.”
Sheila Singh, 53, moved into the home in the 1980s. She now shares it with her son, daughter-in-law and her 5-year-old grandson.
“Our bathroom has a very bad water leak which has caused the ceiling to blacken and turn mouldy. We complained to the municipality, but there has been no response. At times the mould smells, and it affects our chest and breathing.
“We have tried to clean the ceiling and paint over it but the mould always returns due to the dampness. Our rent is R700 and currently only my son works. We cannot afford to do the repairs on our own.”
Singh said she felt depressed. “Seeing my bathroom in this condition, and knowing that we pay rent, is disheartening. It is like we are being cheated.
“We have also waited for so long for our title deed. If we had it, we could do our own repairs.”
Rakhi Dhunraj, 50, said she had forked out thousands of rand on repairs.
“Whenever it rains, the water sinks into the ground destroying the concrete.
“The water flows underneath my home and pushes out to the back of my property.
“The pavement then sinks and the area around the house gets flooded.
“I complained to the municipality but there was no response. I took it upon myself to get someone to do the repairs.
“It is unfair to me and other residents because we pay our rentals and we should not have to pay for repairs that the municipality is responsible for.”
Michael Govender, the vice-chairperson of the association, said they wrote to the Department of Human Settlements and the municipality for answers.
“We will not stop until we get answers and solutions from the government on these issues,” he said.
Gugu Sisilana, the spokesperson for the eThekwini Municipality, said tenants were encouraged to log maintenance faults with their regional office in Chatsworth.
“The housing unit ensures that all water-related repairs are addressed as quickly as possible to prevent structural damage, including issues like blackened walls and mould growth.”
She said waterproofing of the walls would be included in the upcoming upgrades to these blocks.
The recent rental increase is a standard 10% adjustment, Sisilana said.
“Some tenants may see higher bills due to previous debt and arrangements made to cover both historical and current charges, so we cannot adopt a blanket approach when dealing with billing matters.”
She encouraged residents to visit their rental offices for clarification.
“However, we acknowledge the delay in issuing title deeds and the process is being extended due to ongoing town planning activities and a conditional assessment to determine necessary immediate upgrades and a 10-year maintenance plan.”
The POST