Despite desperate attempts by ANC Ward 61 Councillor, Naeem Patel, trying to ‘paint a good picture’ of the ANC-led Tshwane Council, concerning service delivery, residents in the Laudium/Erasmia are not fooled, as they bear the brunt of poor service delivery.
This follows the Laudium Sun continuously receiving complaints regarding the Tshwane Council dragging its feet in attending to complaints of residents, some of which have been ongoing for months, at times years, with residents even blaming Cllr Patel for not assisting. In one of the latest complaints received, residents of De-Winter Street in Erasmia, are still complaining about a manhole drain cover that has been missing since last year. This, despite the danger the open drains pose, with reports of a number of residents being injured over time, with even the Laudium CPF Chairperson, Shaheen Wahab, still recovering after stepping into one of the open drains early in January, seriously injuring his leg.
manhole on their street with wooden pallets and stones, to avoid an accident, while the Council turns a blind eye.
Hawa Bibi of De-Winter Street in Erasmia, told the Laudium Sun, “We reported the missing manhole drain cover to the Council over a year ago and since then nothing has happened, even though the Council promised that it would be replaced. The manhole, which is situated directly in front of our house, is still open and poses a danger to everyone in the area. Many times we placed a wooden pallet over it, topping it up with stones so that no one falls in, but somehow the stones and pallet go missing and then we have to redo the exercise. Either way, this is not a safe or permanent solution, as the hole is still exposed and can cause a serious accident to pedestrians or passing vehicles. The other day my cousin’s 10-year-old daughter almost fell into the open manhole and it was only by luck that she did not actually fall in. This clearly shows how dangerous the uncovered drain is, especially for children who may not notice it in time. We are living in constant fear that someone might get seriously injured because of this situation. We pay our Rates & Taxes, but we are not receiving proper service delivery from the Council. We have reported this issue many times, but it is still not resolved and this ongoing neglect by the Council and our Councillor is unacceptable. We should not have to keep begging the Council for basic services that we are paying for. The Council’s failure to act on such a serious safety issue shows a lack of concern for the community. Leaving a manhole open for such a long time is irresponsible and puts lives at risk every day. We feel ignored and frustrated because our complaints are not taken seriously. I once more appeal to the Council and our Councillor to take the concerns of the community seriously and to replace the missing drain cover immediately, as this situation is dangerous and unfair to all residents of De-Winter Street.”
Razia Sheikh, another resident of De-Winter Str, told the Laudium Sun, “There is a serious problem with Municipal services towards residents in our area, as many issues remain unresolved for long periods of time, starting from the missing drain covers to water leakages and several other concerns that are simply not attended to. These ongoing problems are creating frustration within the community, because people feel that their voices are not being heard and that their complaints are not being taken seriously. The situation with the open manhole is especially alarming because it poses a direct threat to the safety of everyone, particularly young children who often play outside on the street. It is extremely worrying to see such a dangerous hazard left unattended to for such a long time, as this could easily lead to a tragic incident if someone accidentally falls into the drain. Families are constantly concerned about the well-being of their children and this fear has sadly become part of our daily life due to the lack of action from the authorities. Residents have raised these concerns multiple times, yet there has been no progress in resolving them. This ongoing neglect by the Council and our Councillor gives the impression that the community is being overlooked, despite the fact that property owners continue to meet their responsibilities by paying rates and taxes. There is an expectation that basic infrastructure will be maintained and that safety hazards will be addressed without delay, but this is clearly not happening.” neglect by the Council and our Councillor gives the impression that the community is being overlooked, despite the fact that property owners continue to meet their responsibilities by paying rates and taxes. There is an expectation that basic infrastructure will be maintained and that safety hazards will be addressed without delay, but this is clearly not happening.”
infrastructure will be maintained, but this is not
happening.