The DA councilor in the Ratlou Local Municipality, Arista Annandale, alleges that since the electricity supply has been suspended, 28 elderly residents have been receiving a small bucket of hot water, heated on a gas stove to bath. 

She says they discovered this during an oversight inspection at the home after receiving several complaints from residents about the generally poor management and lack of services at the facility. It’s understood that the Rotarus management claims the electricity was cut because the facility owes Eskom about R700 000, which has accumulated over time and resulted in the suspension of the electricity supply at the facility. To reconnect the electricity supply, Eskom requires a 50% payment towards the debt.

Annandale says the management claimed that the Department of Social Development is partly to blame for the situation because of the late payments of subsidies as per the Service Level Agreement. It is, however, understood that Eskom debt, the unpaid municipal account, and several other debts are blamed on the previous management allegedly implicated in fraudulent activities involving millions of rands at around 2015. It has been difficult for the home’s management to recover from this financially. 

The DA's main concern is the compromising of the quality of life of elderly and frail residents at the home.

“These elderly residents are now carrying the suffering brought about by the actions of other stakeholders they had nothing to do with. It is a shame that elderly and frail people, who pay rent from their meagre pensions, are being exploited in this manner. 

We recognise that Eskom is entitled to the settlement of debt to restore electricity supply and the department was well within its rights to withhold subsidies, but the DA strongly believes that the 28 residents should not be denied their basic human rights, specifically the rights to electricity supply and decent and healthy living conditions.”

Annandale said they will request the department to investigate the daily operations of the home, including the facility's financial health, staff component, and the general well-being of residents to immediately consider avenues to ensure the well-being and dignity of residents and also ensure that adequate electricity supply and other services are restored as a matter of urgency.

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