Cape Town - The water supply to a block of flats in Schotsche Kloof, Bo-Kaap, has been restored after an urgent meeting with the City of Cape Town on Tuesday.
Residents, mostly elderly, were left without water for six days after the City disconnected them allegedly due to ongoing non-payment of accounts by the Schotsche Kloof Body Corporate.
Sixteen units in the complex, decorated with Palestinian colours, were left without water.
Only residents living on the ground floor had access to water.
Fadiel Moos, a body corporate trustee, said they had to pay the City about R24 000 to restore the water.
“They demanded R24 000 immediately, which we gave them, we couldn’t afford it, but we gave them.
“We only had R22 000 in the account.
“I don’t know how they paid it, but it got paid,” he said.
The City said the Schotsche Kloof Body Corporate settled the current municipal account, excluding the arrears for the restricted block to reinstate services.
The property has accumulated a total debt of R15.8 million over several years, the City said, adding that it had lengthy discussions over it with the body corporate.
“Provided the body corporate enters into and honours the terms of a new payment arrangement once settled, services to the complex will continue as normal.
“In general, services to a property will never be restricted if a payment arrangement is in place and the terms are being honoured,” the City said.
Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association chairperson Osman Shabodien, said there were several issues surrounding the matter, since the flats were bought from the City in the 90s.
“This thing has been going on for two years, it's like anything in the City, you can’t sell to people and want them to take full responsibility, but it is never maintained.
“What is happening now, is they never checked the electrical, water collection or water pipes. It is as old as the Second World War,” he said.
“This isn’t your chartered accountant and your lawyers like in Sea Points body corporate and Bantry Bay, these are lay people.
“They go in to work and at night they must sit with a situation that they can ill maintain.”