Residents of Laudium and Erasmia are once again asking themselves just how much longer should they tolerate the poor service delivery they are faced with, from the ANC-led Tshwane Council.
Some are even pondering that if ANC Cllr Naeem Patel cannot currently assist residents concerning their Municipal related complaints, while the ANC leads both the Tshwane Council and the Gauteng legislator, just how would he manage to assist residents after the local government elections, should he through ‘influence’ be elected again, as the ANC is predicted to loose it’s majority in the Council after the election. This follows residents living around the Pendant/13th Ave area in Laudium complaining for months about a leaking underground water pipe and a huge hole dug up around the pipe laying open for months. Residents told the Laudium Sun recently that the water leak reportedly started about four months back on or around April 20, after which Council workers attended to the problem on June 20, two months later. However, residents claim that the leak was not properly repaired and that the hole dug up around the leaking pipe was, since then, not closed or reinstated to it’s original state.
More than two weeks back, the water leak had started again, with clean water once again leaking continuously from the same pipe that was supposedly repaired. Despite numerous complaints to the Council and to Ward Councillor Naeem Patel, the leak continued for weeks, with no Council workers having returned to repair the problem. Residents in the area also complained about low water pressure, with some households reportedly having no water at all, which they believe was due to the significant amount of water being wasted through the leak.
flowing for weeks, before the Council finally responded.
Residents told the Laudium Sun on Friday (Aug 14)…
Zeenat Yacoob of Pendant Street said, “This is completely insane, the way the water leakage is happening on our street. Cllr Naeem Patel promised to address and fix the water leakage, but it has now been more than a week since clean water has been running down our street non-stop again and no Council worker has come to properly repair the problem. This is extremely frustrating for residents because we are watching clean, usable water being wasted every day while some households are struggling with low water pressure and in some areas, residents have no water at all. In our own house, we are experiencing low water pressure and at times we struggle to get enough water for our basic daily needs. At the same time, our Councillor is telling residents to use water sparingly. How are we expected to use water sparingly when clean water is continuously running into the streets because the leak has not been properly repaired? Residents should not have to suffer because of work that was not properly completed in the first place. There is also a serious concern about water bills. Who is going to pay the high water bills if water continues to leak for days and weeks because the Council has neglected to properly repair the problem? Residents should not be held responsible for water that is being wasted because of a Municipal infrastructure problem. This is really poor service delivery and residents are becoming tired of making complaints without seeing proper action. How can we be expected to vote for Cllr Naeem Patel again when the service delivery in our area is so poor? We are extremely disappointed with what we are experiencing and many residents are questioning whether they can
continue supporting the ANC government when basic services such as water are not being properly managed. This is pure madness and shows a serious level of neglect. I sincerely hope that Council workers come to Pendant Street as soon as possible and properly repair the leakage. We need urgent action, proper accountability and a permanent solution, not promises.”
Yosuf Mohammed of 13th Avenue said, “This latest water leak has been going on for many days and despite the situation becoming worse, no one from the Council has come to fix the problem. Water is running along the street and collecting in different places, making the area look like it has been affected by flooding. This is not something residents should have to accept, especially when the problem has been reported and there is an expectation that the Council will attend to it immediately. We are seeing clean water being lost while people are being reminded about the importance of saving water. What worries me most is the lack of urgency. The problem has continued for weeks and the situation is getting worse. The longer the leak continues, the more damage it can potentially cause to the road and surrounding areas, while an enormous amount of clean water is simply going to waste. I am also wondering what kind of governance Cllr Naeem Patel is part of, when residents have to face problems like this without seeing proper management or a quick response. A Ward Councillor should be listening to residents, following up on service delivery complaints and making sure that issues affecting the community are taken seriously. At the moment, we are not seeing the level of commitment that residents expect from our Ward Councillor. This is a clear indication of poor service delivery and residents are extremely disappointed with the Council’s response. People should not have to repeatedly complain about basic Municipal services before something is done. We need officials to take responsibility and ensure that complaints are dealt with properly instead of allowing them to continue until they become much bigger issues.”
Ayesha Ismail, also of Pendant Street, said, ”The water running through our street is not only wasteful but also creates an unpleasant environment for residents. It is frustrating to see clean water flowing away when households depend on a reliable water supply. We are really disappointed by the Council’s inefficiency and by what we see as a lack of commitment from our Ward Councillor. Residents deserve proper service delivery, effective communication and action when problems are reported. Our street should not be left looking like a flooded area while clean water is wasted day after day. We need action, not excuses, and we need the Council to show residents that their complaints are being taken seriously.”
The leaking pipe was finally repaired, with water flowing again on Sunday, while the dug up hole has still not been closed. PR Cllr Prajay Ramjee posted, “Water Supply Update – Laudium / Claudius Estate – Saturday, 15 August 2026 | 23:45: At 23:15, the line started charging slowly. It will take approximately 1 to 3 hours, or possibly longer depending on the system conditions, to restore the pressure to the required level. Backfilling will be carried out tomorrow. Backfilling will be carried out once it has been confirmed that there is no leakage at the welding area. Estimated Time of Restoration (ETR) 02:00am 16/08/2026.”