Despite the ANC-led Tshwane Council failing Laudium and Erasmia residents in effective service delivery, the ANC and its Ward Councillor, Naeem Patel, still have the audacity to ask residents to vote for them in the Local Government Elections of November 4, so that they can lead the Council for another five years.
While the ANC has a history of making promises during election campaigns, which residents say are repeatedly not honoured after elections, many elections are unfortunately won on the basis of who has the most money for their campaigns and who can ‘hoodwink’ residents the most by again making false promises.
This, as residents continue complaining about poor service delivery in the area, with residents saying that both Patel and the Tshwane Council continue to ignore their complaints, which have been ongoing for months.
One of the many complaints that the Laudium Sun has been receiving from local residents over a period and now once again, concerns various falling or damaged streetlights, traffic signs, including stop signs and the non functional robots at the R55/Military Road intersection.
Residents have also complained about the robots removed at the R55/Erasmia intersection and at other nearby intersections on the R55. Although this falls under the jurisdiction of the ANC-led Provincial Government, residents say Patel has direct access to it through the PCO office of the ANC, whose chair for the Roads section is none other than Patel’s bosom comrade, Greg Schneemann (ANC-MPL), often seen eating at various local functions at the invitation of Patel.
Residents have also complained about a stop sign at the intersection of Military Road and Delhi Avenue, which is upside down and another stop sign falling at the nearby intersection of Bengal Street and Delhi Avenue. Both have been reported to the Council and to Patel’s office over at least the past two months.
Despite residents complaining, no one from the Council has come to fix the signs, while the ANC wants a mandate from residents to lead the Tshwane Council for the next five years. The stop sign plays a major role at the intersection, which experiences heavy traffic caused by trucks travelling to and from PPC Cement, traffic from Itireleng and schoolchildren using the area. It is therefore an important road where a properly positioned stop sign can help prevent accidents and potentially save lives.
Residents are questioning why the Council has still not attended to the problem after several complaints. They believe such a basic service delivery issue should not be left unattended to for months, especially at a busy intersection where road safety is a serious concern. Residents are calling for the matter to be addressed urgently and for the responsible authorities to ensure that the stop sign is repaired and properly positioned as soon as possible.
Amina Abdullah of Delhi Avenue, Laudium Ext 3, told the Laudium Sun, “We really cannot believe that something as small as a stop sign can take such a long time to be fixed. Residents living in the area are extremely disappointed by the poor services that we are receiving from the local Council, the relevant officials and Councillor. We have to wait for what feels like forever just to get a small thing such as an upside-down stop sign fixed. The corner of the old Military Road and Delhi Ave is a busy road and the stop sign plays an important role in controlling traffic and keeping motorists and pedestrians safe. There are trucks using this area, there is traffic from Itireleng and schoolchildren also use the road, so this is not something that should simply be ignored. I do not understand why such a simple problem cannot be attended to after residents have reported it several times. We are not asking for something complicated. We are asking for a stop sign to be put back into the correct position. If residents take the time to report problems, we expect the relevant officials to take those complaints seriously and respond within a reasonable time. I also think about the impression we are giving to people from outside Laudium when they come into our area and see Laudium fast decaying as service delivery fails. It is frustrating for residents to see repairs to basic infrastructure being left unattended to for months. It makes us feel that our community is being neglected and that our complaints are not being taken seriously by the politicians. I am highly disappointed with the current poor service delivery because we do not deserve this kind of poor service in our community. Residents deserve to see action when they report problems, especially when those problems can affect the safety of people using our roads. I also believe that communication between residents and the Council needs to improve. It is not enough to receive information or an acknowledgment on a phone, yet nothing happens afterwards. What matters to us is action on the ground. When a resident reports a problem, there should be a proper follow-up until that problem is resolved. I want the relevant officials to understand that residents are watching what is happening in our community. We need better service delivery, better communication and quicker responses to basic problems. I hope this matter will finally be attended to and that the faulty stop sign will be attended to and the other stop sign, at the corner of Bengal Street and Delhi Ave, which is about to fall, will be straightened immediately. We want to see a community where residents can report problems and know that those problems will be taken seriously and resolved.”
Farida Rahman, a concerned resident of Himalaya Street, Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “I am extremely shocked to see that the upside-down stop sign we reported a long time ago to Cllr Naeem Patel and the Council is still in the same condition. I cannot understand how something so important can remain unattended to after members of the community have already raised their concerns. I find this situation completely ridiculous because that road sign has an important purpose. Drivers depend on proper road signs to understand where they must stop, especially at an intersection where vehicles are constantly passing through. When a sign is upside down, it can create confusion for motorists and may increase the possibility of an accident. I am worried because this is not a quiet area where there is hardly any movement. There are motorists, pedestrians, children and heavy vehicles using the surrounding roads. Everyone should be able to rely on clear and visible traffic signs. Something that appears small can become a serious safety concern when it is ignored for such a long period. I cannot understand why nobody has come to correct the problem. We have raised the matter because we believe that the Council officials responsible for maintaining our neighbourhood should respond when residents identify something that requires attention. We should not have to keep reporting the same issue without seeing any action. This is a clear example of the poor service delivery that residents are experiencing from the Council. We are not asking for a major construction project or something that requires months of planning. We are asking for a damaged or incorrectly positioned traffic sign to be attended to. I believe residents deserve much better. People who live in this community, use these roads every day and have a right to expect basic infrastructure to be properly maintained. When simple matters remain unresolved, it creates frustration and makes residents question whether their complaints are reaching the right officials. I am also disappointed because I expected Cllr Patel to have taken the matter seriously after it was brought to his attention. When residents approach elected representatives with concerns affecting their daily lives, we expect those matters to receive proper attention and follow up. I am really not proud of the current poor situation in Laudium or what I am seeing from the Councillor when it comes to this issue. I believe our community deserves representatives who listen to residents, understand their concerns and make sure that reported problems are followed through until they are resolved.”
