A family from Parkwood is fearing the cold and rainy winter months ahead after part of their roof in the kitchen and toilet blew off in 2023 and claim that until now nobody came to fix it.
Walmer Road resident Harriet Cloete, 58, said she is taking care of her frail 83-year-old mother and says that Tuesday's torrential rain has caused severe damage to parts of the kitchen and toilet of their Council home.
Harriet explains: “Part of the roof blew off during the winter months in 2023 which was caused by the wind. It is completely open now so when it rains then the water comes into the house.
"My mother is a pensioner and that is the only income we have in the house because I do not work and her pension can’t cover anything.
"The roof looks like it is going sak in. The rain has caused mould on the walls from the kitchen to the toilet, so we decided to have it painted.
"But the one day of rain on Tuesday damaged the walls again. We wasted our money and now also need to replace the floor because it is damaged.
"When it rains, we have to remove the appliances and put them in the rooms. We need to put bowls and emmers to catch the water and can’t even wash in the toilet because it is koud en nat.
"My mother has a tight chest now. If it rains Easter weekend, I am going to have to send my mother away."
Harriet said she has been to the ward councillor's office countless times but has only met with the secretary because the councillor is in meetings.
She said she reached out to the City of Cape Town but only got reference numbers. She said a man from the City came to access the damage, but nobody has come out to fix the roof.
The gatvol vrou says: “I am fed up because nothing is being done. I go every month, I feel hopeless. Here is another winter coming, we are going to have to send my mother to family because we can’t afford her to sit with a bors, medication is expensive.”
When the Daily Voice reached out to the City of Cape Town, they are aware of the required work and the necessary repairs will be addressed and completed in due course.
A statement reads: "Due to the high demand for repairs at our public housing rental units, the City prioritises critical and emergency work across the metro. We operate using a triage model to ensure the most urgent needs are addressed first.
"Maintenance and upgrades of our more than 45 000 Council housing units continue to be a priority programme.
"We therefore have a complex, multi-year and thorough maintenance programme roll out, based on data, starting with emergency work."