Despite attempts by the local ANC Ward Councillor, Patel, to ‘camouflage’ the ANC led Tshwane Council’s failing service delivery in Ward 61, residents continue to express their dissatisfaction with Patel and the Council.
In yet another complaint of poor service delivery in Ward 61, residents of Kalkheuwel Street in Erasmia told the Laudium Sun that they are extremely frustrated with the lack of service delivery in their area. Residents say that despise complaining for months about non functioning streetlights to the Council, their complaints are merely ignored.
Ahmad Kistha, a concerned resident of Kalkheuwel Street, told the Laudium Sun, “The streetlights on our street haven’t been working for months. On top of that, some of the streetlight poles don’t even have light heads. The infrastructure is in terrible condition and crime is increasing because the streets are so dark at night. We’ve reported this problem multiple times, but no one from the Council has come to attend to it. We are really tired and frustrated. On our street, this is a huge problem and I really think that the Council must come to fix it as soon as possible. Streetlights and roads are among basic infrastructure for any town. If these things aren’t properly maintained, then why must we pay rates and taxes? The Council needs to take responsibility and act. We just want our streetlights to work. I urge the Council to ensure that all the streetlights in our area are repaired and functioning.”
Yusuf Ahmed of Bengal Str, who was visiting family on Kalkheuwel Str when the Laudium Sun team was there, said, “Cllr Patel has been posting photos about walking the streets in his Ward. I take it that it was to familiarise himself with the poor state the area is in, so surely he should be aware of all the streetlight poles falling and missing light fittings. Why do residents even need to report such types of complaints? I am beginning to wonder if his walkabout was not a mere publicity stunt, just to promote himself.”
Zahid Ismail, another Kalkheuwel Street resident, told the Laudium Sun, “This problem has been going on for years — the streetlights on our street don’t work. Ironically, the lights that are supposed to work at night end up switching on during the day instead. Just imagine how much electricity Eskom is wasting because of this and yet at night, when we actually need the lights, then they don’t work at all. I’m an elderly person and if I need to walk to the shops or even just down the street, I have to think twice. Without proper lighting, it’s very dangerous — especially with the high crime rate in our area. It’s really so sad to see how far our community has fallen, all because the Council can’t even provide the basic services we deserve. The streetlights must be fixed. We don’t want to be attacked or have criminals take advantage of the darkness, just because the lights aren’t working.”