An elderly Heideveld couple have been struggling for seven years with a dangerous leak in their Patricia Court flat and say their pleas to the City fell on deaf ears all this time.
Titus Abrahams, 90, and his wife, Johanna, 89, have been living in the council flat for more than 50 years. They say their troubles started after the City upgraded the flats in 2016 (“Leaks after flat upgrade,” Athlone News, Wednesday August 7, 2019). Shortly thereafter, they noticed a leak in their bathroom. The couple live on the ground floor, and the leak came from the top-floor flat. Four households are affected.
The pensioners fear that the ceiling might collapse, as leaked water gathered there. The bathroom is also filled with mould because of the leak. They are also too scared to switch on the bathroom light, as the water runs down the electrical wiring.
Since January this year, the couple’s daughter, Gail Dyssel, has been going to the local housing office regularly to complain about the situation. However, apart from sending contractors out to assess the situation, no repairs have been made to date. After the Athlone News reported about it in 2019, Mr Abrahams said that contractors came out to do “superficial work”, but soon thereafter, the problem persisted.
Ms Dyssel fears for her parents’ health and safety.
“Both my parents are chronic patients and the mould is not good for their health. My other fear is that the water that runs on the electrical cables could spark a fire. There is a hole in the ceiling where the water runs through. Every time a contractor comes out to assess it, but nobody fixes it,” Ms Dyssel said.
The couple’s neighbour in the flat above them, Felicia Japtha, said she and her family were scared to use their bathroom.
“There is a constant bad smell, and it is wet all the time. The mould is also a problem in our bathroom. All the pipes in the four flats need to be replaced,” she said.
The Athlone News sent a list of questions to the City in order to establish why it was taking so long to do the necessary repairs. In response, the City said its staff had carried out an investigation at the Abrahamses’ flat on Friday May 19 (after the Athlone News enquiry) and they would be on site this week to “see to any other required work”.
“A plumbing stack pipe was found to be leaking from the top of the building and will be sealed off as soon as possible. The leak is as a result of wear and tear. The City will remain in contact with Mr Abrahams about the necessary repairs and turnaround times.
“The City investigated all damage caused by the leaking stack pipe and will carry out the necessary repairs as soon as possible. The health and safety of our residents is our priority and we thank residents for their patience while we carry out the work,” said the City statement.