A new year, but the complaints remain the same about the ANC-led Tshwane Metro Council’s poor service delivery.
While many residents’ New Year’s resolutions would have also been to better themselves, it seems that some politicians in the Council have resolved to let the new year be about making more money for themselves through corruption and less service delivery for the people.
Already at the end of the first month of the new year, residents in the Laudium/Erasmia area are still waiting for the Council to attend to the poor state of the area. From long grass in parks, to potholes, to non-functioning streetlights, etc, residents are furious that the Tshwane Council is allowing the area to slide into such decay.
Amongst the complaints raised to the Laudium Sun, residents say that many of the parks in Laudium and Erasmia have turned into bushes and ‘jungles’ fearing that snakes and other insects are breeding in the long bushy grass. Residents say that there is no accountability to the community and that they are being kept in the dark as to why Council workers have failed to cut the grass, despite the festive season being over.
Nabeel Khan of Genl Pienaar Circle, Erasmia told the Laudium Sun, “The park on Genl Pienaar Circle Street in Erasmia is in really very bad shape. The grass is way too long and overgrown, creating many difficulties, especially for pedestrians who are passing through the park on a daily basis. It is dangerous because there could be snakes and other dangerous and infectious insects hiding in the long bushy grass, which puts the safety of residents at serious risk. Despite this situation, there seems to be no concern at all, as Council workers who are supposed to come and cut the grass are nowhere to be seen, even though the holiday period is already over and work should have resumed normally, with even little children back at school. This park was once a place where residents could walk freely, relax and enjoy a safe outdoor environment, but now it has become unsafe and neglected. Many residents used to come to this park for their morning and evening walks, but this is no longer possible due to the condition of the park. Children who want to play and spend time outdoors can no longer do so because the park is no longer suitable or safe for them. The long grass, lack of maintenance and overall neglect has taken away the purpose of this park, forcing the community to abandon the usage of the park. The situation is extremely disappointing, because residents pay Rates & Taxes with the expectation that basic services such as park maintenance will be delivered. Unfortunately this does not seem to be happening and it feels like all our payments are made in vain as there is no visible service delivery from the Tshwane Council. As residents, we feel ignored and let down, especially when such a simple task like cutting grass is not being attended to for such a long period of time. The Erasmia Circle Park now resembles an ‘Amazon Forest’ rather than a community park and this is unacceptable for a residential area. Immediate action is required to restore this park to a usable and safe condition. As residents we appeal to the Tshwane Council and the Councillor to step in and take responsibility in ensuring that service delivery in our area is not compromised and that the park is restored to its original intention, as a recreational open space for the community.”
Majid Iqbal, also of Genl Pienaar Circle, told the Laudium Sun, “I used to come to this park every morning for my walks, but over the past few months the Council has not been maintaining this park, with the grass becoming extremely long turning into a bush. The condition of the park has deteriorated so badly that it now feels unsafe and there is a constant fear when walking near or inside the park, because within the long grass there could easily be snakes and other dangerous insects. The situation has reached a point where the park can no longer be used for its intended purpose and residents who once relied on this space for health and fitness, even recreation, are now forced to stay away. With immediate effect, the present Ward Councillor and the Council must step in and ensure that the long grass is cut and that proper maintenance is carried out on a regular basis. It appears as if the grass is only being cut once every six months, which is completely unacceptable because grass needs to be cut at least once a month to prevent it from becoming overgrown. I have heard that the Council has given a tender to a private company to maintain the parks. If this is true, it is indeed more worrying, as this means that our monies are being eaten up by the ‘fat cats’ without doing the work. I hope that the Councillor will inform the community if indeed it is true that monies are being given to private contractors to maintain the parks in our area.”
