Donovan McDonald Retirement Centre came under the spotlight as officials from the City of Joburg in the office of Chair of Chairs, Human Settlements and office of the Ombudsman visited the old age home to listen to the repairs and maintenance issues faced by the elderly this week. The visit was a follow-up of the complaints received from these residents about deteriorating conditions, lack of maintenance and safety concerns. The office of the Chairs of Chairs was represented by Director for Governance and Oversight Sam Shabane, the Acting Regional Head Winsley Masinga, and the Advocate Livhuwani Tshiwalule from the office of the Ombudsman.
During the walk-about at the facility on Monday, 22 May 2023, the teams interacted with the residents to get first-hand experience of the conditions.
Issues identified included cracked floor tiles, broken windows, and burst water pipes that have been flowing for a number months. The facility is a high-rise building with six floors where the elderly depend on the lifts to move around.
It was found that the lifts are not working for some time as well.
Shabane assured residents that the office of Chairs of Chairs will coordinate efforts from relevant departments to improve the quality of services by the City of Joburg.
“We will ensure that all departments and persons responsible for maintenance, health, and safety issues are held accountable. The Ombudsman’s office has the mandate to ensure that whoever is responsible for the deteriorating conditions is held accountable.”
Some of the major complaints raised by the residents included a poor state of security, which has resulted in incidents of vehicle theft. Others complained about some occupants in the units living there illegally.
On the issue of illegal occupants, residents were told that the City has a list of all the people documented as illegal or unlawful and the list is with the City’s attorneys.
“We are in the process of applying for evictions of such,” said Shabane.
He discouraged the residents from inviting the unlawful people to come and stay. “A stranger cannot come from nowhere and occupy. It is often a neighbour or someone who knows that the previous owner is deceased, and the unit is empty,” said Masinga.
James Dickson, a committee member, said they have been reporting to Human Settlements officials but there is no positive feedback.
The office of the Ombudsman had set up stalls at the venue to allow the residents to register their complaints.
Tshiwalule encouraged residents to use of the Ombudsman’s office for any long-standing issues, especially those that pose health and safety risk to the frail elderly.
“The city has a responsibility to ensure that the senior citizens are well taken care of in these facilities owned by the city. All departments including social development must play their role to ensure that these facilities provide a conducive living condition,” said Tshiwalule.
Shabane promised the residents that the team will return to the facility to inspect progress on issues raised.
23/05/2023