Morester flats in Acardia. Oupa Mokoena African News Agency(ANA)
The General Pretorius Building in the CBD and the toilets.
Pretoria - Residents at the General Pretorius Building in the CBD have described their living conditions as “unsafe”, “anxiety-inducing” and “inhumane”.
Signs of the flats’ poor repair are obvious from the exterior on the intersection of Paul Kruger and Jeff Masemola street, where exterior panels are broken with insulation exposed to the elements, while several windows also seem in need of repair.
Inside the building, which houses more than 250 tenants, the state is even worse. Glass lamps, which once lit the windowless thoroughfares, have blown out. Black marks on the wall suggest that there have been electrical fires in multiple places.
This comes amid reports of a large number of property management companies which have mushroomed in Pretoria due to the high demand for CBD apartments from workers and students.
Resident and committee member of the building, Sello Majadibodu, said landlords and property management companies did not care about tenants’ wellbeing.
“As long as you do not miss a payment, they are not bothered. What
is expected from the City of Tshwane is protection. My apartment doesn’t
have proper windows. I have used plastics and cardboard to shield myself from the cold and rain. I have
been living here since 2013 and I fear that this building will fall over us one day.”
He said he couldn’t afford any other place with his security guard salary and, therefore, could not move out. He pays R1 900 a month rental.
Other issues raised at the flats include non-functional ablution facilities which are shared, exposed electrical wires, a filthy and hazardous kitchen and closed-off emergency fire escapes with empty fire extinguishers.
Another resident, Lillian Phiri, said the five-storey building was a health hazard due to perennial non-maintenance and glaring cracks in the old structures, worsened by overcrowding. She complained about rent being high and maintenance low.
Another resident, who identified himself only as Laurence, showed the Pretoria News a large crack in his ceiling which he said was detrimental when it rained. “I dread it when it rains because all my belongings become wet.”
He also said to maximise the profits, the unscrupulous landlords subdivided the standard rooms, resulting in overcrowding and filthy, slum-like conditions.
In some city buildings, like Morester building on Beckett and Pretorius streets and Van Riebeeck medical building on the corner of Francis Baard and Lilian Ngoyi streets, walls are peeling and there is a strong stench from uncollected rubbish.
Working lifts in some buildings were described as a luxury, with tenants scurrying up and down the high-rise buildings’ dark, filthy staircases throughout the day.
Residents of the General Pretorius Building said they would not pay the expected increment because of their unhappy living conditions, but landlord Sam Lai said he had notified them well in advance about the R100 increase.
“We have not had an increase since 2015 and that is hampering the upkeep of the property. We need the money to maintain the building,” he said. He admitted that he was fighting a losing battle trying to maintain the building.
“Every week, when I fix something, the following week it’s broken or stolen. I really can’t keep up with this.”
He said he did not recognise the committee that complained to the Pretoria News was because due process was not followed.
MMC for Human Settlements, Mandla Nkomo, said the issue of derelict buildings, a cash cow to property administration companies across the city, was known to the authorities.
He said the department had undertaken an audit of all buildings which are not complying with the National Building Regulations and the city’s derelict buildings by-law.