Silwerkroon’s lifts are finally working
The municipality made many promises that work would be complete soon, but the months just kept going by with no progress.
AFTER nine long months of constant struggle, the lift at Silwerkroon (a retirement home) is finally working.
Councillor Izak Berg called the RECORD on February 14, with the news that the lift should be operational by Friday and later the same day informed the RECORD that the lift is finally working – much to the delight and relief of residents.
The lifts stopped working in May 2017 and in spite of pressure from the community and ward councillor, alderman Bruna Haipel, the municipality (Ekurhuleni) run home did not seem to make an effort to sort out the problem, leaving the elderly residents to struggle up and down the flights of stairs, which proved especially difficult or even impossible for those in wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, etc.
Recently, paramedics had to struggle getting a man down the stairs after he had a heart attack, thus putting his life in jeopardy.
Several individuals and companies offered to repair the lift free of charge and one even offered to do an additional one year’s worth of free maintenance, but the municipality was not interested in these offers, citing that insurance would be an issue and that the lift needed to be replaced, not repaired.
The municipality made many promises that work would be complete soon, but the months just kept going by with no progress.
Upon mounting pressure from all sides, the municipality finally hired a company to do repairs, even though they had previously claimed that it could not be repaired, but had to be replaced.
Even when the lift had been repaired, it could still not be used because, according to sources on the inside, the municipality had not paid the company so they would not sign off on it.
Also Read:
At my wits’ end regarding Silwerkroon
Silwerkroon lift issues still not resolved
Lift at Silwerkroon has been fixed, but not signed off
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