Concerned resident, Welkom:
As a concerned resident my pleas come amidst the chaos and neglect that has become synonymous with the Matjhabeng Municipality.
I write to express my profound discontent and frustration with the abhorrent state of affairs that the municipality has allowed to fester at the Municipal Flats in Long Road.
On 15 July 2023, a White Isuzu bakkie crashed into the outer wall, causing substantial damage to the premises. Despite the ward councillor’s request for a prompt inspection and repairs, the municipality has shamefully failed to address the damages.
Four months later, the flats have descended into a crime-ridden abyss, and the once vibrant community is now victimised by rampant theft and insecurity.
The appointed supervisor’s efforts to draw attention to the issues have fallen on deaf ears within the Department of Housing. How can you blatantly ignore the safety and well-being of those under your supposed care? The negligence is not only blatant but also downright appalling.
Adding insult to injury, the housing department has the audacity to force contracts on residents leading to an astronomical threefold increase in rates, threatening eviction and legal action should they refuse to sign. Their arbitrary and unlawful actions have left vulnerable residents, many of whom have called these flats home for decades, in a state of destitution.
It is a disgrace that, despite charging exorbitant rates, the municipality has failed miserably in performing basic maintenance and repairs. Where, exactly, is the money of these residents going? Certainly not towards the betterment of their living conditions.
Equally egregious is the municipality’s outright refusal to allow these residents to apply for indigency on their accounts. Rates that were approximately R300 per month are now well over R1 000. This new “policy”, disguised as financial measures, appear to be nothing more than an attempt to economically force the eviction of the most impoverished and vulnerable members of our community.
The Department of Housing and Matjhabeng Municipality is directly responsible for exploitation of the elderly, destitute, and impoverished residents at the Municipal Flats. Their conduct is nothing short of a betrayal of the trust these residents placed in them to provide low-cost housing, which is the intended purpose of the Municipal Flats.
We demand immediate investigation into the unlawful actions taken by the municipality against the residents of the Municipal Flats. We demand proper maintenance of the premises and revocation of the unjust rate increases.
It is time to put the well-being of the residents first, as municipal duty demands.
This is not just a plea; it is a demand for accountability.
