It seems that the ANC-led Tshwane Council will only start taking residents in Laudium and Erasmia seriously concerning complaints of lack of service delivery, when the date for the local Government election draws nearer.
It has become a trend for politicians, mainly from the ANC, as the majority party in the Tshwane Council, to start ‘cleaning up’ areas and make various pledges, from fighting crime to giving attention to neglected services, at hospitals, schools and the local Council amongst others, during election time. This is when many politicians will visit the area, address the community in public places including Mosques and Churches and meet business people at private dinners, making empty promises after empty promises. But, once residents have voted, these politicians (some of them accused of corruption) will not be seen until the next election, despite the same political parties failing to keep the promises in terms of their own election manifesto.
This follows, yet again, residents complaining about poor responses from Ward Councillor Naeem Patel and the Tshwane Council. From potholes all over Laudium and Erasmia, to various falling traffic signs to long grass and rubbish being dumped all over, to streetlights not working, to delays in attending to electricity outages in the area, to lack of maintenance of infrastructure, etc, residents say they are now very frustrated as their various complaints are just being ignored while the area falls into serious decay.
Alli Mohammed of 6th Avenue, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “The potholes on 6th Avenue, pose a serious danger to both pedestrians and motorists. 6th Avenue, near Emerald Str is very busy with a lot of passing traffic each day. These potholes have been long there and are widening due to the ongoing rains, but the authorities are not paying attention to it. There can be a major road accident because of these potholes and even pedestrians crossing the street, especially at night, can get seriously hurt by stepping into one of the potholes. We heard that the Council workers were busy fixing the potholes recently, but they have not repaired these potholes. Why are they skipping some of the potholes and fixing others? Why is our Councillor not complaining about the poor service from the Council? There are also many street signs that are missing or fallen at key intersections, which need urgent attention. Despite repeated complaints to Cllr Patel’s office and the Council office in Laudium, the problem continues. Residents feel ignored and are left to manage the dangerous conditions on their own. Infrastructure across Laudium is badly deteriorating. Once known for well maintained streets and public spaces, the suburb now shows signs of serious neglect. Sidewalks are cracked, streetlights are broken, rubbish is dumped everywhere and other public amenities are in disrepair. Residents feel that the Council workers are performing tasks only because they are assigned, rather than showing genuine effort to fix the problems permanently. We have long been bluffed by the politicians and we are now calling their bluff to put action to their words now, not only during election time and also to stop all the corruption.”
Surie Reddy of Taj Street, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “I have been complaining about the branches of trees outside on the pavements, which are too long and hitting on the electrical wires, as our electricity keeps tripping because of these overgrown branches, which has now become a dangerous situation. These branches are very close to the electricity wires and pose a serious risk to residents living in the area. Despite reporting the issue several times, no one from the Council has come to cut the branches of the trees. It has been months now and I am tired of constantly complaining to the Council without any response or action from them. Service delivery from the Council is really poor and it feels like the voices of residents do not matter at all. No matter how many times complaints are made about long grass or tree branches that are very dangerous for the electricity wires, no one seems interested in addressing the problem. This lack of action from the Council creates frustration and concern among residents, especially when safety is at risk. Residents are left to live with these hazards daily, worrying about the next electricity failure and possible accidents. The community feels neglected and ignored, as basic maintenance issues are not being attended to. There is a strong need for the Council and the Ward Councillor to take residents’ complaints seriously and respond promptly to ensure safety and proper service delivery in the area.”
Razia Cassim of Agra Str West, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “The stop sign next to my house on Military Road was damaged and fell a long time ago, but no one from the Council has come to fix it to date. This is a great risk for motorists, as many taxis carrying school children regularly pass along Military Road towards Bengal Street. Vehicles do not stop properly at the intersection because the stop sign is missing, which makes the situation very dangerous for everyone using the road. The absence of the stop sign creates confusion and increases the risk of serious accidents, especially during peak hours when there is a lot of traffic. Parents fear for the safety of school children who cross the very same road daily, while motorists are forced to rely on judgment instead of proper road
signage. Despite the danger, no action has been taken by the Councillor and the Council to address the problem. Surely they also see these problems when driving on the streets of Laudium?”
Retired former Jacaranda Primary School Principal, Omma Patti Padayachee (Mr OP), of Taj Street, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “My father used to say, ‘Change the things you can change and do not worry about the things you cannot change.’ This is exactly what is happening in our community. There are so many problems in Laudium and despite complaining many times to the Council office and the Councillor, nothing seems to be changing for the better. No action is being taken on our complaints and the situation remains the same every day. Issues such as poor service delivery, damaged infrastructure and lack of maintenance continue to affect residents. Complaints are made repeatedly, but there is no response or visible effort to improve conditions. This ongoing neglect has left residents feeling frustrated and helpless. It feels as though the voices of the community are not being heard, no matter how often concerns are raised. The lack of progress has forced residents to accept these conditions and continue living this way. There is a sense that nothing will improve unless a major change happens in Laudium. Until then, residents feel they are expected to endure the problems and adjust their lives around the ongoing challenges. The situation has created disappointment and a loss of hope for residents waiting for meaningful action and positive change in our community.”
