Arusha Court, 105 - 109 St. George’s Street, Albert Park, Durban

     
Tenants are subjected to unhygienic living conditions, exorbitant rentals and an unsafe environment. A building without owners and a café owner who controls the flow of water...

Brief Overview
There are 28 flats in this sectional title block but it would appear that the body corporate does not exist. There are 23 tenants with a total number of 90 occupants; twenty are children.

Occupation: Two tenants are in occupation for less than a year, 11 for up to three years, 3 are in occupation for up to six years and a similar number are in occupation for up to nine years. Four tenants have been in the building for more than 10 years.

Rentals: Rentals range from R300.00 per month to R1000.00. In one flat the occupants pay R2450.00 and are afraid of being evicted (flat 54).

Repairs / Maintenance: Tenants have indicated the following problems:
  • Water is available for 15 minutes per day
  • Children in the building are abused by criminal elements
  • No doors, cracked ceiling and broken window pane for 4 years
  • Lifts are not functioning
  • No general electricity in the corridors
  • Leaking pipes
  • No cleaning services
  • Stagnant water
Ownership; Still under investigation

Action: Deputy City Manager; Health / Fire dept.

UpDate: April 14 2006 - A Mr Abdul who runs a café shuts off the water and appears to be in charge. On Monday April 10, 2006 the OCR visited the building with representatives of City Health, Water and the Metro Police, the entrance to the building was padlocked. However, on site inspections by departments of Health and Water took place over the past two weeks. Water account is paid regularly.

Our instructions are to approach the High court to appoint a judicial manager since a body corporate does not exist. The conditions at the building are appalling and tenants are being fleeced by exorbitant rentals. Criminal elements are used to prevent tenants from exposing their plight.

Arusha is one of several buildings where absentee owners and landlords have contributed to inner city decay.