A new week has begun, yet complaints continue to pour in against the ANC-led Tshwane Council regarding poor service delivery in the Laudium/Erasmia area. Residents claim that officials from the Tshwane Council and local ANC Ward Councillor Naeem Patel do not appear interested in serving all sectors of the community equally. According to residents, certain individuals or areas seem to receive preferential treatment when it comes to service delivery. Allegations suggest that many residents—especially the poor or those not connected to the ANC—are made to wait months or even years before their complaints are attended to, if at all. Meanwhile, those who are members or supporters of the ANC allegedly have their complaints escalated more quickly by the local councillor or his office.
These concerns follow complaints from residents of Emerald Street, near the corner of 13th Avenue in Laudium, regarding a missing manhole cover. Residents say they have been reporting the issue for several months to both the local municipal office and the councillor’s office but claim their concerns have been ignored, despite the serious danger posed by the open manhole—particularly to schoolchildren who pass through the area daily.
Habib Rahman, owner of Gandhi Tuck Shop on Emerald Street, told the Laudium Sun, “The manhole cover in front of my shop has been missing for more than a year. It is extremely dangerous and every day I worry about the people who pass by, especially the schoolchildren going to nearby primary schools. Many children walk past my shop on their way to school in the morning and in the afternoon many of them board taxis here to go home. The missing manhole cover is right in the middle of this path and despite complaining many times to the Council to replace it urgently, as it poses a serious danger, it has still not been replaced.
said that he cannot understand how the issue
of the open manhole has been left unresolved
for so long.
“I cannot understand how such a dangerous situation has been left unresolved for so long. It seems that we are not treated equally compared to others who are connected with politicians. During the night it becomes even more dangerous because pedestrians rushing home cannot easily see the open manhole. Someone could easily fall in, break a leg, suffer serious injuries, or even worse, a child could die if they fall into the hole.
“Emerald Street becomes very busy during school hours when children are running, playing and walking quickly along the sidewalks, especially after school while waiting for their transport. I have tried blocking the hole with a long tree branch and even a concrete stone, but these disappear soon afterward. I urgently request the Council and the councillor to act immediately and have the missing manhole cover replaced. This is not something that can wait. Every moment the drain remains open, the risk of accidents increases and it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt.”
Veena Singh, also of Emerald Street, shared similar concerns. She told the Laudium Sun, “The missing manhole cover next to Gandhi Tuck Shop is extremely dangerous, especially for pedestrians like me. The manhole is very large and anyone could easily fall into it and seriously injure themselves, breaking a leg or worse. Every time I walk past this area, I feel nervous because I know how easily an accident could happen.
“It is shocking that the Council has allowed this situation to continue for so long without taking action. The danger is real and cannot be ignored. I do not understand why something as simple as replacing the cover is taking so long. It seems that we are not taken seriously. Despite complaints and reminders, no one has come to replace the drain cover. The street is busy and many people—including children, elderly residents and workers—pass by this spot daily. At any moment someone could trip or fall into the open manhole, and the consequences could be serious.”
Timmethy Adendorff, another resident of Emerald Street, also expressed concern about the potential danger the open manhole poses to the community. Speaking to the Laudium Sun, he said, “During the day the area becomes crowded with schoolchildren waiting for transport, while others play around here before walking home. Children do not always pay attention to where they are stepping or running and the open manhole is a hidden danger that could easily cause a serious accident.
“At night the danger increases because it becomes harder to see the manhole in the dark and the street remains busy as residents return home from work. It is unacceptable that such a serious hazard has been ignored for so long. It is frightening to think that someone could get hurt because the Council has not replaced the cover. Every day that the manhole remains open, the risk of accidents increases and people’s safety is compromised. Replacing the cover is a simple task, yet the Council continues to delay. It seems that not everyone in Tshwane is treated equally when it comes to responses to complaints.”
When asked to comment, Councillor Naeem Patel told the Laudium Sun, “The drain hole cover that is missing on the corner of Emerald Street and 13th Avenue has been reported to the Council on three occasions by myself and my team. The matter was also raised at a public meeting by a resident in the presence of the Director of Water. The response we received from the City was that the missing sewerage drain covers in the ward have already been replaced. However, the water manhole covers that are missing are still in the process of being procured by the City, as these covers are not all standard sizes and the City currently does not have them available. In my ongoing discussions with the City, I continue to raise this issue regularly.”