Complaints against the ANC led Tshwane Council concerning poor service delivery continues to pour in. this time residents from the Helena and Lenchen Streets area in Erasmia, say they are fed up with poor service delivery after an underground water leak was repaired about eight months ago by Council workers, but the street remains partially blocked by an unrepaired hole, sand and debris.
Residents have also expressed fear that the infrastructure is failing as the Council has not replaced aging water and sewerage pipes for decades.
Residents say that while the water leakage was attended to by the Tshwane Council, the area was not restored after a hole was dug to repair the leak. Instead, sand and debris were left behind at the corner of Helena and Lenchen Street, Erasmia, leaving the area in a mess and making it difficult for motorists and residents to use the road properly.
In one of the latest complaints received by the Laudium Sun concerning poor service delivery in the Laudium/Erasmia area, residents say the Erasmia street corner has been partially closed for months and has become difficult for motorists to use. They added that despite numerous calls to both Cllr Patel and the Council over months, for the Council to clean up the area, close the hole properly and repair the damaged section of the street, their pleas have been ignored.
Ameen Moosa, a concerned Lenchen Street resident, told the Laudium Sun, “I am so disappointed with the Council’s shabby work and the way they have handled the situation on our street. There was a water leakage about eight months ago and the water leak was fixed after a few days. We were happy that the leaking problem was attended to, but unfortunately, the hole dug up by them at the time was not repaired. The Council workers left sand and dirt and did not repair the hole properly, leaving their work unfinished for months. The street has become partially blocked and is now effectively being used as a one-way road. Residents and motorists cannot cross or use the road properly because there is not enough space. This situation has become a major inconvenience for everyone living in the area. If the Council comes to repair an underground water leakage, the entire job should be completed properly, including fixing the road and cleaning up the area afterwards. We are literally fed up with the Council’s poor work. Even Cllr Naeem Patel does not seem to pay any attention to the residents and the problems we are facing. Service delivery is really poor and we cannot continue like this. Residents deserve proper service delivery and our concerns should be taken seriously. We are ordinary residents who want to live in a safe and properly maintained neighbourhood. We should not have to struggle to use our own street because a hole was left open after Council workers dug up the place to repair a water leakage. The Council needs to understand the inconvenience this is causing to residents and motorists every day. I hope we will get a new Councillor in the coming election, who can do better and provide better services for us. We need someone who will listen to residents, understand our problems and make sure that service delivery is improved. I appeal to the Council to come back to Lenchen Street in Erasmia, close the hole properly, remove the sand and repair the damaged section of the road. The road must be restored so that residents and motorists can move freely again. We are not asking for anything unreasonable. We simply want the Council to finish the work that was started and leave our street in a proper condition.”
Ayesha Khan, also of Lenchen Street, told the Laudium Sun, “I am literally shocked that the Council can take so much time just to close a hole properly and re-open the street. This is something that should have been dealt with months ago, but instead we are still living with the consequences of unfinished work. The street is partially closed at the corner of our street and this has become a serious inconvenience for residents who use this street every day. The situation is particularly worrying in the mornings when parents are taking their children to school. There is already a lot of traffic during the morning rush and having the street partially blocked makes the situation more difficult and risky. Parents are trying to get their children to school on time, while other motorists are also using the same streets to get to work and attend to their daily responsibilities. When street usage is restricted because of an unfinished repair, it creates unnecessary pressure and confusion for everyone. I do not understand why it is taking the Council so long to complete such a basic job. When the workers came to the area to repair the water leakage, they should have made sure that the entire area was properly restored afterwards. Leaving a hole open and allowing the road to remain partially blocked is not acceptable. Residents should not have to keep complaining about something that should have been completed as part of the original repair work. The Council must do its work properly because residents cannot be expected to teach Council officials and workers how to perform their responsibilities. We pay taxes and expect proper service delivery in return. When there is a problem affecting the community, the relevant officials should respond and make sure that the problem is resolved completely. It is frustrating when residents have to raise the same concerns repeatedly before anything is done. We should not have to wait for months for a road to be restored after a water leakage has already been repaired. The Council should have systems in place to ensure that once repair work is completed, the surrounding area is also restored and made safe for the community. Another issue that concerns me is the way politicians approach residents when elections are coming. During election periods, politicians come to communities and make big promises because they want our votes. They tell residents about all the improvements they are going to bring and how they are going to address service delivery problems. But residents also remember what happens between elections and whether those promises are actually followed through. Now that election time is approaching, we will hear many promises again. Politicians will come and tell us many big things, but residents are looking at what is happening on the ground. We want to see action, not just speeches and promises. We want Councillors to be visible in the community and to respond when residents have genuine problems. I am also disappointed with the current Ward Councillor because, from what we are experiencing in our area, there does not seem to be enough attention given to the concerns of residents. We expect our elected representatives to speak for the community and make sure that Municipal problems are brought to the attention of the relevant departments.”
