Complaints against Cllr Patel and the Tshwane Council have again and yet again surfaced, despite Patel’s praise singer, and known apartheid supporter, Yusuf Abramjee claiming that Patel is ‘committed and doing good work’ as a Councillor.
In one of the latest complaints of poor service delivery in the area by the Tshwane Council, residents are up in arms, following a large sinkhole that appeared this past Monday (Sept 22) on Martinus Street in Erasmia, causing the street to be closed off. Numerous cracks on the street have also raised concerns from residents, who fear that the sinkhole could spread further and wider at anytime. Many residents expressed frustration over the Council’s negligence, saying that they have been complaining for years to both the Tshwane Council and Cllr Patel, but without any response. Residents also said that what was worrisome is that lives could have been lost in all this time as no action was taken by the officials in the interest of the safety and well-being of the residents living on Martinus Street and the surrounding areas. Some residents even expressed their reservations, after the Council immediately responded when the sinkhole was discovered, claiming that because Cllr Patel had recently purchased a house in the area, he was more concerned that the cracks should not go further towards where his new home was and thus ensured that immediate attention was given by the Council.
Mumtaz Ismail, a resident of Martinus Street in Erasmia, told the Laudium Sun, “This is pure negligence by the Council. I wonder why all of a sudden, they rushed to close the street because a big sinkhole appeared. We have been complaining about the cracks on our street and on other streets in the area for a long time, but the Council never gave us any importance. Now, when they see a sinkhole, they want to act like they care and start repairs. We are really tired of the Council’s negligence. The sinkhole appeared on our street on Monday after a water pipe burst, but this problem didn’t start now—our street has had numerous cracks for years, which we reported to the Council and the Councillor, yet they never inspected the area. Now that the situation is ‘do or die,’ the Council came with barriers to close the road. This is really bad service. My house is right next to the sinkhole, and I am scared it might collapse because the cracks are spreading—it’s terrifying. I hope the sinkhole and the entire street will be repaired soon. This problem is not only on our street; I believe other streets will face the same issue in the coming days. I don’t understand why the Council is not taking this matter seriously, because our lives are at stake now.”
Vanida Govender another resident of Martinus Street in Erasmia told the Laudium Sun, “This is really a big disaster now, as the whole street is closed and we can’t even move anywhere. We can’t take out our cars and it feels like we are under house arrest. The Council and the Councillor have known that this street was deteriorating, with cracks everywhere. Their workers were supposed to inspect the area and be more vigilant, but they ignored the situation. Now that the entire street is collapsing, they want to react. Service delivery from the Council is really poor but what more can we expect from their broken services? I just hope this street can be repaired so that we can move freely again, because right now we are stuck at home and living in fear.”
Maryna Breitenbach, also of Martinus Street in Erasmia told the Laudium Sun, “We are tired of the whole situation on our street. It is extremely frustrating because we can’t have visitors and we can’t even take out our cars. The entire street is collapsing and there are cracks everywhere—how can we risk our lives like this? Our lives are in danger and if anything happens to our family members or anyone living on Martinus Street, we will hold the Council responsible. They and the Councillor are simply collecting salaries without doing their jobs.”
Meanwhile, Firouz Dockrat, Sector 1 head – Erasmia, told the Laudium Sun that they sent a petition to the Council a few months ago, on July 13 and again on July 25, requesting the Council to urgently replace the aging water pipes in the area, but there was no response. Firouz has asked the Laudium Sun to inform readers to support their ongoing demand for the Council to replace the water pipes in the area.
Petition
Petition to Replace Old Water Pipes in Sesmylspruit, Marthinus, Basson Streets & surrounding areas.
Dear Laudium Sun Team, I am writing to request your support in bringing urgent attention to a community petition regarding the water infrastructure in Sesmylspruit and the surrounding areas. The water pipes in our community were installed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and they are now well past their lifespan. This has resulted in frequent leaks, water losses and worst of all two huge sinholes, one in Sesmylspruit Street and the other very recent one in Marthinus Street. These sinkholes are directly caused by the aging infrastructure leaks that wash away the underlying soil. We have submitted a petition to the Tshwane Council, calling for the immediate replacement of these outdated pipes. However, despite the seriousness of the matter, there has been little visible action from the authorities. Your coverage of this issue would not only highlight the daily struggles of residents but also put pressure on the City of Tshwane to treat this matter as the urgent service delivery priority it is. Clean and reliable water is a basic human right, and our community should not continue suffering because of decades-old infrastructure. We hope the Laudium Sun can assist in amplifying this matter by reporting on the petition and engaging with the relevant authorities for accountability. Thank you for your continued role in giving our community a voice.”
-Kind regards, on behalf of concerned residents of Erasmia Sector 1 and 2.
Residents are urged to add their signature to the petition, which can be opened via the link below.
Can you add your signature?
https://chng.it/ZxNNyPFfXr