Where the rats chase the cats

After the Record recently reported on the sad state of affairs at Klein Helderkruin Retirement Village, residents from another state-owned retirement facility now also have come to the fore with their problems.

Joe Sadan (70) who is a resident of the Donovan McDonald Retirement Village and also serves on the Roodepoort Care for the Aged’s board invited the Record to come and view the myriad of challenges that faces the residents of this retirement village.

Sadan showed the Record leaking pipes and drains that are dysfunctional. The grass is uncut and weeds grow wild. Because of this there is a problem with wild cats and rats but says Sadan “the rats are so big they chase the cats”.

Residents also had to pay for their own washing lines although the Housing Department did install ones that are so flimsy that the clothes hang on the ground.

Sadan says that he has to fork out R200 every time to have his garden cleaned, which is very expensive on a government pension of approximately R1 600 a month.

Furthermore security is lax and the boundaries of the village can be scaled easily, but the security company allegedly claims that crimes that are committed are not their responsibility. Sadan told the Record of an incident in 2013 when seven cars were broken into in one night. He says that residents generally live in fear.

The lights that are supposed to light up the driveways are not working as they are supposed to. They come on only at 9pm and stay on until 9am. This, Sadan says, causes residents to fear to go outside at night.

He also told the Record that tenants break the rules by letting their children live with them and in some cases these unwelcome guests have victimised those who complained.

Sadan says Elsie Ndabethole, area manager for the Department of Housing, sometimes visits the village and takes note of the problems but nothing positive comes from these visits.

The Record did contact Ndabethole for comment but she said she was not at liberty to speak to the press. Her superior, Ethel Sereme, to whom the Record was referred could not be reached.