Complaints against ANC Ward 61 Councillor, Naeem Patel continue to pour in, with many residents saying that Patel seems to be too busy promoting himself and the ANC, instead of serving residents of his Ward.
Residents say that the ANC-led Tshwane Council seems to have hit rock bottom, concerning service delivery in the area, since Patel became Councillor.
This follows many complaints by residents, regarding non-functioning streetlights to potholes to blocked drains or manholes, which residents say takes days or weeks, in the event the Council attends to it at all.
In one of the latest complaints brought to the attention of the Laudium Sun, residents living in the 1st Avenue, Laudium area, are complaining about a leakage from a blocked manhole drain at the main entrance to Laudium on 1st Avenue (near KFC). The leakage residents say started last Friday (August 21) and now almost a week later and despite many calls to the office of the Council, it has still not been attended to, with filthy sewage water continuing to run down the busy street.
Mohamed Saeed of 1st Avenue, told the Laudium Sun, “This drain blockage is really bad because people from my street complained about this leakage last week already and nothing has happened so far. The drain leakage has still not been fixed which is really disappointing, because this is the main street of Laudium. A problem like this should have been attended to and repaired immediately. We cannot understand why it is taking the Council so long to come and deal with the problem. When residents report a drainage problem, we expect the Council to send workers to the area, investigate what is causing the leakage and fix it properly. 1st Avenue is a busy street and many people use this street every day. The Council should understand that a drainage leakage on a main road cannot simply be ignored. The longer the problem continues, the worse the situation becomes for residents and motorists using the road. What is also frustrating is that residents have already complained about the matter many times. We should not have to keep reporting the same problem over and over again before someone comes out to assist us. Once a complaint is received, the Council should follow it up and make sure that the necessary work is done. I feel that the Council workers are too slow when it comes to attending to Municipal problems in our community. Ebrahim (Eboo) Mohideen said residents are tired of the Council’s negligence towards Laudium. Mohamed Saeed of 1st Ave, said, “We pay for services and expect the Council to maintain streets and infrastructure.” Mohamed Saeed of 1st Avenue, told the Laudium Sun, “This drain blockage is really bad because people from my street complained about this leakage last week already and nothing has happened so far. The drain leakage has still not been fixed which is really disappointing, because Sometimes it feels like they only attend to issues according to their own convenience or benefits, instead of dealing with problems based on how urgent they are and how many people are affected. Residents deserve better service delivery from the Council. We pay for services and we expect the Council to maintain our streets and infrastructure properly. We should not have to live with drainage leaks and other problems for days while waiting for council workers to take action. The Council needs to take residents’ complaints seriously. This leakage has been reported and there is no reason why it is still not
fixed. It is disappointing to see how long residents have been waiting for a simple problem to be attended to. We are asking our Councillor to intervene and enquire why the blocked drain has still not been fixed.”
Local resident, Ebrahim (Eboo) Mohideen, told the Laudium Sun, “The blocked drain leakage on 1st Avenue started last Friday and nearby residents reported the incident to the Council, but no one from the Council has come to fix the issue so far. This is really bad because 1st Avenue is one of the main streets in Laudium and there is a lot of traffic on this road every day. Despite the problem being reported, locals are still waiting for the Council to attend to it. The sewage water has been spreading across the street and is becoming a serious concern for residents and everyone who uses the road. It is not acceptable that a drainage problem continues for days without anyone from the Council coming to inspect the situation and carry out the necessary repairs. We are tired of the Council’s negligence towards Laudium. Residents have been complaining about service delivery problems for a long time, but we are not seeing the kind of positive response that we expect from the Council. When residents report problems, we expect the relevant departments to take action and make sure that these complaints are attended to as soon as possible. We are also disappointed with the level of service we are receiving from Cllr Patel and the Tshwane Council. Residents should not have to continue reporting on the same problems, hoping for someone to come and assist. As residents of Laudium, we deserve efficient service delivery and we should not be treated as if we are second class citizens and that our complaints do not matter. I believe it is time for residents to seriously consider whether the current Councillor is sincerely serving the people of Laudium. If the Councillor cannot serve the community properly, then he should not stand again for elections and residents should have the opportunity to elect someone new who will listen to the community, respond to their complaints and serve the people with sincerity. We are tired of the way Laudium residents are treated when it comes to service delivery. We need leaders who will take responsibility and ensure that basic services are provided to residents. A blocked drainage leakage on a busy main road should not be allowed to continue for days without attention. We need action, not excuses. The
Council needs to understand that residents are frustrated and that these service delivery problems cannot continue indefinitely. We want our streets to be clean and properly maintained, streetlights to be working our infra structure to
be upgraded with new water and drainage pipes to be installed and our complaints to be taken seriously. It is time for the Council and our local leadership to step up and start working for the people of Laudium.”
