No lifts installed at the eight Ekurhuleni rental stock buildings
This was revealed to the DA by the Ekurhuleni Department of Human Settlements project manager of the Functional Planning Division, Phumzile Nyatlo.
THE Democratic Alliance (DA) is disturbed to learn that the new lifts which were supposed to be installed at the eight Ekurhuleni rental stock buildings that house mostly elderly residents will not be installed this financial year.
This was revealed to the DA by the Ekurhuleni Department of Human Settlements project manager of the Functional Planning Division, Phumzile Nyatlo.
According to Nyatlo, the lifts contract expired on June 30 and this deadline was unfortunately missed and cannot be variated nor extended due to the lapse. This means this contract will possibly be carried out in the 2018/19 financial year despite the fact that the lifts should have arrived by end October 2018.
This clearly indicates that elderly care is not one of the priorities of the failing ANC-led Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, as it continues to drag its feet and miss deadlines in finalising contracts to replace the lifts in most of the elderly care facilities across the metro.
The eight Ekurhuleni rental stock buildings, which have old lifts, are Andries Scribante, Markville, Karachi Court, Delhi Court, Denys Conradie, Silverkroon, Roxanne Mansions and Pauline Davis Court.
The DA has visited some of these residential areas, namely Silverkroon in Alberton and Deneys Conradie Residentia in Benoni, earlier this year and discovered the lifts needed replacing years ago, yet the Ekurhuleni Municipality has repeatedly stalled this process by temporarily repairing the lifts which then break down again and are out of order for months.
“We have submitted several petitions on behalf of the residents about non-functioning lifts, which have been ignored by the municipality,” said Charity Moyo, media officer.
Some of the residents at these facilities are blind, while others use walkers, walking sticks and crutches and it is difficult for them to use the stairs. In an emergency, it would be difficult to carry an elderly resident from the third floor using the stairs.
“The elderly are the most vulnerable members of society and they do not deserve such undignified treatment from the Ekurhuleni Municipality,” Charity said. The elderly in Ekurhuleni are in desperate need of change and a new government that can put their needs first.
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