'Camfer tenant' from Herold writes:
The condition of the railway houses at Camfer Station we rent from Transnet is unacceptable.
We have communicated our concerns to two Transnet officials regarding our concerns, but nothing comes of it.
The tenants are mostly people who live on social security grants and don't have the means to do major repairs and maintenance themselves. Family members of one of the tenants are willing to repair the house she is occupying, but they were told tenants are not allowed to do that. The houses are in the region of 100 years old.
The water pump from the reservoir is switched on two or three times per week by one of the tenants, but the water pressure in certain houses is so poor that the water doesn't reach the taps or toilets. This person used to receive a small payment for switching it on and off, but he doesn't get it anymore.
The road to the pump is also in a very bad state. Apparently, the last time the reservoir was cleaned was 30 or 40 years ago.
The rental agreements for most of the tenants apparently date from the late 1990s, and some tenants don't have copies anymore.
What is Transnet's plan with these properties?
Transnet Properties responded as follows:
Transnet Property can confirm that the houses at Camfer Station are owned by Transnet.
The condition of the houses is generally good, as most tenants take responsibility for their own upkeep and maintenance. Rental fees are kept affordable and vary depending on the size of the house.
With regards to maintenance, Clause 9 of our lease agreement states that the tenant shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair, upkeep and/or decoration, as the case may be, of the interior and exterior of the property, including ceilings, wall and floor coverings, as well as doors, windows, all cooking, heating, cooling, lighting, plumbing and air-conditioning installations.
This obligation shall include, but not be limited to, the replacing or repairing of the following: globes and fluorescent tubes, windowpanes, toilet seats and any other working parts, tap washers, washbasin and bath plugs, pelmets and curtain rails, internal door locks, window fasteners and air-conditioning unit filters.
Transnet Property is currently auctioning some of its residential properties to interested bidders as part of its plan to strategically dispose its portfolio of residential and non-core commercial properties.
However, the Camfer Station houses are not included in the current phase of the auction. When these properties are considered for auctioning at a later stage, tenants will be notified and engaged accordingly before the auction process begins.
