A Manenberg oupa was hospitalised over the weekend after he got the shock of his life touching the railing of a staircase of a block of Council flats.
Residents of Aletta Court have long complained about the electrical current running through the metal bars of the railings.
Angry mense say they are gatvol of slapgat City of Cape Town officials who have not attended to the problem for more than a year, resulting in multiple injuries, including a 10-month-old baby and a pregnant woman over the weekend.
The upset family of oupa Aziz Daniels, 60, say he nearly suffered a heart attack after holding the metal bar while trying to walk up the stairs on Saturday .
Niece Gadisa Frank, 26, says the problems started more than a year ago with a faulty lamppost.
“We saw sparks coming from the light pole and we went to the rent office to report it,” she says.
“They came and fixed it and all of a sudden, people were shocking when they grab the railing of the stairs.
“On Saturday we just heard Boeta Aziz shout and when we went to look we saw he was shocked.
“We took him to Melomed Hospital where the doctors are keeping him for observation because they were worried about the impact of the live current on his heart. He could have died.”
The day before, seven-year-old Mekyle Hendricks was rescued by a resident when he screamed after gripping the bars.
“I forgot we can shock there and when I took on it, I was shocked. An uncle came to ruk me off,” he says.
Aaisha Simons, 27, says she climbed the stairs with her 10-month-old baby when both of them felt a jolt.
“We walked up the stairs and she was holding one side, and me the other, when we both got shocked. I grabbed her quickly away but my baby was crying,” she says.
“Before Uncle Aziz got shocked, one of our neighbours who is seven-months pregnant also shocked and we all got such a skrik.
“She is in hospital now and we are waiting to hear about the baby.”
Gadisa says as her family gathered for the janazaah of Mogamat Ladien Petersen, 91, the father of music legend Taliep Petersen who lived in Aletta Court, they warned people to be careful.
“They were trying to carrying the body down the stairs and had to sukkel because they could not use the railings or they would shock,” she says.
“The officials came here on Sunday and said the problem was sorted, but we don’t trust that because they did not want to explain how this happened and the children are all living in fear.
“The City is responsible for these injuries.”
MaycoMember for Energy and Climate Change Phindile Maxiti did not answer any questions about the electrical problems, but said it has now been resolved.