Hanover Park family pleads for urgent repairs after winter damages home

A family in Hanover Park is calling on the City of Cape Town to urgently address structural issues in their home after winter rains damaged the roof, posing health and safety risks.

Natasha Cesroe, 49, told Athlone News on Wednesday July 9 that seven people, including her 11-year-old great-nephew, sleep in one room of the house, which has become unsafe and unhygienic after a hole formed in the roof during recent heavy rains.

“The rain comes in directly where we sleep,” said Ms Cesroe.

“My son sleeps on a mattress on the floor and it gets wet. The risk of him and the other children in the room getting sick is very likely.”

"The property, where their 80-year-old mother Freda Cesroe has been a City tenant for years, has reportedly not been serviced or maintained in decades. Attempts to prevent water from entering, including stuffing the hole with clothing, have failed, said her daughter.

Compounding the problem is a broken staircase and railing. Ms Cesroe said her niece recently hit her head after the plank on the staircase gave way. She almost tripped and fell, but she was not injured, she said. The railings are unstable and unsafe for children to hold on to when using the stairs.

Her sister, Asheeqah Cesroe, 52, said her biggest concern is the health of their elderly mother, her brother, who recently had a stroke and lives with HIV, and the younger children in the home.

“Our front door doesn’t close properly. We live in fear because anyone can enter during the night,” she said. “The holes in the house are getting bigger, the roof leaks, the electricity keeps tripping, and we’ve already reported it.”

The family approached the local sub-council and rent office, where they received a reference number. Electricity was repaired last year, but no follow-up work was done on the roof, staircase, or doors.

“We were told to wait, but it’s been months. The situation is getting worse,” said Ms Cesroe.

Mayoral committee member for Human Settlements, Carl Pophaim, told Athlone News that the City’s public housing team inspected the Hanover Park home and identified a roof leak, damaged staircase timber, and a front door issue.

These urgent but not high-risk repairs will be addressed as soon as weather permits, he said.

"ue to difficulties in securing roofing contractors in some areas, the department has decided to replace the existing contract to improve its response to roofing-related service requests, he said.

He added that the City continues to carry out maintenance and emergency repairs across all community residential units, including in Hanover Park, with safety and urgency guiding the prioritisation."

Residents are urged to report and follow up on requests to ensure a timely response. The 2025 to 2026 budget of R1 billion will support increased maintenance and emergency repairs, he said.

Residents should contact the City directly for assistance.