Despite desperate attempts by ANC Cllr Naeem Patel to showcase the ANC as a party caring for its people, local residents remain despondent with the ANC-led Tshwane Council concerning poor service delivery in the area.
The ANC as the majority elected political party, is clearly failing South Africans concerning governance, as corrupt and incompetent people are placed in high level positions.
In one of the many complaints received by the Laudium Sun recently, from local residents concerning poor service delivery, residents living on Hoof and Bodenstein Streets in Erasmia, have complained about an underground water pipe leakage at their corner, which has still not been dealt with properly. Residents say that even though the Council repair team came out to attend to the leak about six months back, the huge hole dug to ‘fix’ the pipe remains open, causing mud and dust and posing a danger to those walking or driving in the area.
Zahida Cassim, owner of PlantKing on Bodenstein Street, told the Laudium Sun, “I’m really not happy with the Council work regarding the underground water pipe leakage on our street. The leakage started about six months ago and the Council workers came to fix it. They fixed the leakage, but left everything else as is. They dug up a big hole and half of the street corner is blocked. I am running a business and when customers come, they find difficulty with parking because space is limited due to the blocked part of the road. This is affecting my business badly, as customers do not want to struggle to find parking or access the shop. It is not only about business, but also about safety, as there can be a fatal accident because the street is now narrow, which makes the traffic very congested and dangerous for both drivers and pedestrians. This is really poor workmanship from the Tshwane Council and Cllr Naeem Patel, who is not doing a good job in our area. It feels as if Erasmia is not part of Ward 61 because it seems like the Councillor is neglecting Erasmia and not giving it proper attention. The service delivery in our area is really poor and residents are frustrated with the ongoing issues that are not being resolved properly. We want the council’s incomplete and messy work to be fixed as soon as possible. Residents deserve proper service and not temporary fixes that create more problems. We need the street to be repaired properly so that businesses can operate normally and the safety of the community is not at risk. I hope that we will get a new Councillor in the upcoming election, who will be more concerned with the poor service delivery we, as residents, are facing and improve our area instead of ignoring our complaints and leaving the problems unresolved for months.”
Faizal Patel of Hoof Street told the Laudium Sun, “I am really fed up with the Council’s half done work on our street. This is really not acceptable at all because the water pipe leakage, which was supposed to be repaired properly
about six months ago, is still not fixed correctly. The Council workers came at that time and did some work, but they left the job incomplete and since then the situation has only become worse for residents living here. There is sand and dust everywhere and the condition of the road has become very poor. The road is now extremely narrow, making it difficult for vehicles to pass through, especially during office rush hours and school hours when traffic increases. It has become a daily struggle for residents to enter and exit the street without facing delays and inconvenience. The situation is even worse when two vehicles try to pass at the same time, which creates congestion and frustration among drivers. The ongoing problem is not only affecting traffic but is also creating discomfort for people living in the area. The dust caused by the unfinished work is spreading into homes and businesses, making it difficult to maintain cleanliness. Residents are forced to deal with this situation every day and it is becoming unbearable as there seems to be no proper effort to complete the work. This is also creating a serious safety concern, as the narrow road and loose sand at a busy corner, increases the risk of accidents. Drivers are forced to slow down or swerve to avoid the open hole area, which can easily lead to collisions. Pedestrians are also at risk because there is very little safe space to walk, especially for children going to and from school. The
Council’s approach to this issue is very disappointing, as the work was started but never completed properly. It feels like there is no accountability or urgency to fix the problem, even though it has been ongoing for months. Residents have been patient, but the lack of proper service delivery is causing growing frustration within the community. I cannot understand why our Councillor is not doing something meaningful and taking this matter seriously instead of focusing on activities that do not address the real problems faced by residents. The community needs proper solutions, not temporary fixes that leave the street in a worse condition than before.”
Teuns Herbst, also of Hoof Street, told the Laudium Sun, “We need the Council to come back and fix the water pipe leakage properly and restore the road to a safe and usable condition. The current situation is affecting our daily lives, our safety and our peace of mind. It is important that this issue is resolved as soon as possible so that residents can return to normal living conditions without having to deal with these ongoing challenges. Service delivery is very poor in Erasmia. It is as if we are do not exist in the eyes of the Tshwane Council or our Councillor.”
