Cape Town - A Hanover Park grandfather is up in arms after City of Cape Town officials constructed a “staircase to hell” outside his home, causing his grandchildren to continually get hurt.
Thomas Roux, 64, says after years of paying rent to the municipality he is fed up of officials “taking him in the gevriet” (insulting him) as his family continually battles just to make it to the front door.
Collapsed
He says his problems started after the original concrete steps collapsed several months ago, resulting in officials replacing it with a temporary metal one.
“A few months ago I was sitting at home and it was a Sunday and I just heard kadwa! and there the whole staircase crashed,” he explains.
“We got such a shock because all the concrete just fell to the floor. That stairs were rotten because they never looked after it.”
The temporary staircase leading to Thomas Roux's Hanover Park flat.
He says while nobody was injured, the family was forced to climb a steel pole for four days to get into their second-storey home in
Surwood Walk.
“You won’t believe me, but I climbed that palletjie (pole) every day,” says the oupa.
“The children couldn’t even leave the house and it was like they are in prison. But, I had to climb like McGuyver, whole day, every day.”
He says the metal staircase is creating problems.
Hanover Park resident Thomas Roux is fed up with the steps which he says are a safety hazard.
Rusty
“Now they put this old rusty thing in here and everyone is slipping and falling.
“Look how dangerous it is! You walk on it and it moves because it’s not stable.
“An elderly lady came here and she fell ugly.
The platform between the flats is disintegrating.
“We go to the council every time to complain. They take us in the gevriet and say they are coming, but never do.
“What about me, if I have a dop (drink) in and I fall? This is the stairway to hell.”
City spokesperson, Luthando Tyhalibongo, says they will replace the temporary staircase.
“As a safety measure railings were installed to the temporary staircase in
October 2019,” he says.