Cape Town - Newly-renovated houses in Manenberg – which cost ratepayers R200 million – are allegedly posing a potential health risk as poor workmanship and sub-standard materials have created a fertile breeding ground for fungi and mould.
The Cape Argus visited 13 flats in Hilda Court on Thursday, Madge Court, Lettie Court and Noel Court.
Residents were angered that they were forced to replace and repair the “cheap materials” used by city council appointed contractor, Aecom, who completed renovations to their homes in under six weeks.
Residents complained that endless problems had arisen because of “sloppy work” which led to frequent asthma attacks, skin rashes and irritated sinuses.
They have also questioned the city’s use of fibre-based asbestos on the roofs, saying tree-based Nutec was more health friendly.
Resident Malik Bailey said: “They just painted the asbestos red, there was no water proofing. Why not replace this dangerous material for the safety of the people?”
In 2008, then-Environmental Affairs and Tourism minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced regulations that prohibited the use, processing, manufacturing, import and export of any asbestos products as they posed health risks.
Many residents were also concerned about leaking water pipes that had not been properly sealed.
This, they said, caused water to leak from the flats above into the flats on lower floors.
The walls lining the flats apparently did not receive a coat of waterproofing and, as a result, water has seeped through the bricks.
This, combined with a lack of ventilation had caused black mould to form on bathroom walls, kitchen windows and bedroom ceilings. Between the loose vinyl floor covering and leaking wall at the Hilda Court flat of Michelina Michaels and Robert Williams, cockroaches bred and “mushrooms” grew.
Williams opened a cupboard underneath his basin and scooped up fungi.
“I was trying to locate the source of the water after we moved into our home in November and realised that the problem was behind the wall. We called the city council, they tried to fix it by painting over it, but then it just happened again because the pipe behind the wall was leaking and seeping through the brick,” Williams said.
The couple has two children, aged three and eight, and kept their dishes in that cupboard: “This upgrading, nothing good came from it. The only good thing I can see is the geysers but given this mess, I would rather stick with kettles,” Michaels said.
The city council said they would investigate the claims made by the residents in the four affected courts.
In another development, the city council said the 24 families living in shipping containers on the vacant lot in Manenberg would remain there until the renovations on their Dina Court homes were completed.
The renovations were on hold pending the outcome of a court case against city-hired contractors, Aecom.
Cape Argus