Cape Town spends R150m fixing rental flats damaged by petrol bombs

27 November 2021 - 10:23
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
The City of Cape Town has spent millions of rand fixing rental flats damaged by petrol bombs and illegal electrical connections.
The City of Cape Town has spent millions of rand fixing rental flats damaged by petrol bombs and illegal electrical connections.
Image: Supplied

While Cape Town grapples with a housing backlog, the city spends a significant amount of money fixing vandalised rental flats.

This was revealed this week by councillor Malusi Booi, the mayoral committee member for human settlements. He said the city, in collaboration with the National Housing Finance Corporation, was hard at work repairing fire-damaged units.

“Most of the units had been damaged due to petrol bomb attacks, stoves being left on and unattended by tenants, and illegal electrical connections, among others,” said Booi.

On Friday, Booi visited a community residential unit (CRU) in Surwood Walk, Hanover Park, to monitor progress  and “communicate the importance of fire safety in council flats”.

“This R150m initiative has seen incredible success since it was launched last year. Thus far, we completed repairs to more than 150 fire-damaged units in citywide rental units,” he said.

“Our progress over the course of the programme has been on track and our work continues.

“The city’s CRUs undergo regular upgrades and maintenance with the limited budget that the city has, and with this initiative, we managed to reach many more units for their required repair and maintenance work far more quickly.”

He urged residents to practise fire safety during the festive season.

TimesLIVE


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.