City takes four days to remove tree that fell on roof of pensioner's home
Grandmother Noawala Dantile had a tree lying across her roof for nearly four days before the city removed it yesterday. Photo: Supplied Grandmother Noawala Dantile had a tree lying across her roof for nearly four days before the city removed it yesterday. Photo: Supplied
Cape Town – A Crossroads pensioner had a fallen tree lodged in her roof for nearly four days before the City eventually removed it yesterday.
The tree fell on Noawala Dantile’s home during the heavy rain and
gale-force winds that hit the metro at the weekend.
Neighbour Lindephi Ntswayi
said he called the City on Friday
at 6pm to report the matter as an emergency.
“I called the city’s disaster management to report the incident, as they stated on the news that their emergency serves were on standby, but they didn’t attend to the matter.
“On Saturday, I called the city again, explaining that the situation was bad, the roof was leaking.
‘‘I told them the old woman lived there with two grandchildren and they needed urgent assistance,” he said.
The City’s disaster risk management spokesperson, Charlotte Powell, said the city had removed the tree yesterday. Asked why it had taken four
days, Powell said: “The incident was reported to the Recreation and Parks Department.
‘‘The Department of Informal Settlements management still needs to conduct an assessment and provide feedback on if they’re able to assist with the damage to the house.”