Many people living at JJ Bosmanhuis say they cannot afford rent elsewhere and fear they will end up on the streets
- Hundreds of people living at municipal apartments in Silverton could be forced to leave soon.
- This after the City of Tshwane declared the dilapidating building unsafe.
- The City last week issued eviction notices to over 300 tenants of the nearly 70-year-old JJ Bosmanhuis building.
- While the City says it will help tenants who qualify for government housing assistance, many residents say they cannot afford rent elsewhere and fear they will end up on the streets.
Hundreds of people living at municipal apartments in Silverton could be forced to leave their homes this festive season after the City of Tshwane declared the building to be structurally unsafe.
Following years of neglect and low rental payments, the municipality has issued eviction notices to over 300 tenants of the nearly 70-year-old JJ Bosmanhuis building that has now been declared unsafe. Residents still have access to water and prepaid electricity.
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Rent ranges between R2,010 and R2,880 per month, depending on unit size. But in recent years, more residents have stopped paying rent.
Most of the tenants interviewed by GroundUp expressed their concern with the prospect of becoming homeless near Christmas time. The tenants say they stopped paying rent to the municipality years ago because they could no longer afford it, and cannot move out and rent flats elsewhere.
Tenant and chairperson of the residents' committee, Mashudu Selokela, told GroundUp that City officials came to tell them about the evacuation plan but did not explain to them why the building was deemed to be unsafe. "They must show us proof that this building is unsafe."
Another tenant Nola Richards, who is unemployed and partially blind, said, "I don't have money. I survive on getting donations from people. This is my home and I have nowhere else to go and stay."
Her husband, Dolf said he has been doing maintenance work for other tenants of JJ Bosmanhuis to support them. "I know every flat. This building is safe. There are small electrical faults in some flats but they can be fixed. Some people have done illegal electricity connections in the past, but they were stopped," said the 63-year-old.
Nombulelo Mahlangu, who has lived in the building since 2015, said she was retrenched three months ago. She is worried where she will live with her three young children if they are forced to move out. "I will not find another school for them for next year. The municipality must not treat us like this. We want to stay here."
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Spokesperson for the City of Tshwane Lindela Mashigo said that the Building Control Unit issued non-compliance notices to tenants to evacuate the building due to "structural and safety non-compliance" issues. He would not elaborate on which the structural and safety non-compliance issues were identified.
Mashigo confirmed that JJ Bosmanhuis currently has 110 verified households in the building. "The City engaged the tenants to explain the safety risks and to advise that an evacuation would be required," said Mashigo. He said once their consultations are done, the evacuation will be done in phases.
Asked why the City did not conduct regular maintenance at the property, Mashigo blamed consistent non-payment by tenants, vandalism and budget constraints.
Mashigo said affected tenants have been categorised according to household income and eligibility for other government support. "Those [who are] above the subsidy threshold and those who are not registered on the National Housing Needs Register will need to secure their own accommodation," he said.
