Poor service delivery by the ANC-led Tshwane Council is once more the topic of discussion among many local residents, especially those living in Laudium Ext 3.
Residents are once more complaining about shabby repair work carried out by Council workers, resulting in the same complaints recurring again. This follows the Laudium Sun highlighting recently complaints from residents in the Kathmandu Str area, regarding their streetlights not working for the past 2 years. After the article featured, Council workers attended to the complaint and the streetlights were once more functioning, but alas only for a few days, before they went off again. Residents living in the area are once more perturbed with the poor workmanship of Council workers in carrying out the streetlight repairs and are once more living in fear as the area which is prone to crime, has become dark again at night.
Nordin Maryn, resident of Kathmandu Street in Laudium, told the Laudium Sun, “The streetlights were only working for a few days, and then boom—they went off again on Friday (June 27) and its now almost a week and the street lights have still not been fixed. We now again have been left without streetlights. Street lighting is very important on our street, because we live right next to the Itireleng squatter camp and many break-ins and other illegal activities happen here. Criminals take advantage of the darkness. The streetlights are vital and I really hope they’re restored soon. But honestly, it doesn’t seem to matter anymore—as residents of Kathmandu Street, we have been living without streetlights for so long, that we’re used to this poor service delivery by the Council. One day, Councillor Naeem Patel came to our street with his officials. They were walking around taking photos and videos, as he usually posts on his community group. I was standing right in front of my house, expecting Naeem to greet me or at least ask about our issues. But no—he didn’t even acknowledge me. He didn’t greet me or speak to any of the residents during that so-called ‘walk and talk’ tour that he always brags about on social media. I was shocked by his attitude. As a Councillor, he has a duty to address the issues of Laudium and engage with the residents. But what he’s doing is the complete opposite. It seems like he’s only chasing fame and money. I heard about a recent incident when a woman from White Blocks went to Naeem’s office complaining about her electricity issue. Naeem apparently told her that he doesn’t depend on votes from Laudium anymore, because he has the nearby squatter camps on his side. How can a Councillor say that? We elected him—we gave him the opportunity and the honour to serve our community. Now he’s turning his back on us. We say NO—we don’t want Naeem as our Councillor for the next term. We want change. We need a leader who will put Laudium first, above everything else.”
Thavy Pillay, another resident of Kathmandu Street, told the Laudium Sun, “I don’t know what to say more concerning poor services, because honestly nothing ever changes. The streetlights on Kathmandu Street haven’t been working for years. A few days ago, they were briefly switched on, but went off again after the cables were damaged. So what can we really expect from this Council? It’s all the same—no action, just empty promises. Politicians love to talk, but when it comes to taking action, nothing happens, just fake statements and zero results. I’m really tired of taking the issue of streetlights to the Council. But it’s not just about the lights—it’s about the rising crime and many other issues too. Laudium is slowly becoming the next big squatter camp. We even read in the Laudium Sun that the Councillor is trying to approve a new squatter camp to be part of this Ward. To be honest, Naeem doesn’t even need to set up a new one—Laudium itself is already becoming a squatter camp and it’s happening right in front of our eyes.”
Sava Govender, also of Kathmandu Street, complained to the Laudium Sun, “The faulty streetlights on Kathmandu Street are a major issue and I believe the Council is not taking our complaints seriously. The Itireleng squatter camp is right next to us and when it gets dark, a lot of these criminals can observe which houses have security systems or dogs. Then, once they know the streetlights aren’t working, they plan their attacks and rob us. We are tired of poor service delivery. All we want is a safe and healthy environment, where everyone can live peacefully.”
Shabbir Subhani of Kathmandu Street, told the Laudium Sun, “The streetlights on our street work sometimes and then go off again. They haven’t been functioning properly for a long time. I have a streetlight right in front of my house which keeps switching on and off. Street lighting in our area is very important because criminals definitely take advantage of the darkness, when there are no lights.”
