Complaints of poor service delivery against the ANC-led Tshwane Council, continue to pour in despite attempts by ANC Cllr Naeem Patel to try to paint a good picture of the ANC run Council.
In one of the latest complaints received by the Laudium Sun, residents of Vrolikspruit Street, in Erasmia, expressed their frustration regarding the slow pace of response by the Council and Cllr Patel, concerning a leaking pipe that flooded their street. Residents say that the leak started this past Saturday (Oct 11) and despite numerous calls to both the Council and Cllr Patel’s office, the leak was only attended to four days later on Tuesday (Oct 14). Not only was there concern for the wastage of huge amounts of clean water, but the fear of a sinkhole forming on the street was also a concern to residents. Despite residents’ concerns the Council seemed not to be bothered and dragged their feet to attend to the complaint.
Ayesha Ismail, a resident of Vrolikspruit Street, Erasmia, told the Laudium Sun, “We complained about the water meter that burst on Saturday October 11. Water was flowing uncontrollably and the whole street was flooded. We informed the Council immediately, urging them to fix the problem because a large amount of clean water was being wasted. The Council assured us that someone would be sent immediately to address the issue, but no one arrived for days. It was only after four days that a Council worker finally came to fix the problem. This delay is pure negligence. Many residents experienced low water pressure during this time and the unnecessary waste of clean water could have been avoided if the Council acted promptly. Service delivery from the Council is extremely poor and it is disappointing that people who are supposed to serve the community fail to do so. The residents are frustrated with the local political leadership. It seems that the top officials in the Council office are more interested in personal gain than in addressing the needs of the community. Instead of providing timely and efficient services, they focus on collecting money from the people and ignore urgent issues like this water leak. Our complaints and concerns appear to fall on deaf ears and the lack of accountability is frustrating for everyone in the area. We feel completely let down by the system. Clean water is a basic necessity, and wasting it due to poor management shows a total disregard for residents’ well-being. The burst water meter and flooding caused inconvenience, unhygienic conditions and stress for everyone on Vrolikspruit Street. People could not use their water properly and some homes experienced water shortages due to low pressure caused by the uncontrolled leak. We were also concerned about a sinkhole forming, seeing that large parts of Erasmia are on dolomite terrain. The Council must improve response times and accountability. Residents should not have to wait for days for basic services, especially when the problem affects the entire street and involves valuable resources like clean water. It is unfair and disrespectful to expect residents to tolerate such negligence. We are deeply disappointed with the service delivery from our local politicians and the Council. We hope that by speaking out, the authorities will take note and take immediate steps to prevent such incidents in the future. Proper management, timely responses and accountability are essential to maintain the trust of the community and to ensure that residents receive the basic services they deserve. The residents of Vrolikspruit Street are demanding action and change so that no one else has to face this kind of frustration again.”
Johann Visser of Vrolikspruit Street, told the Laudium Sun, “This is really poor service that we are getting from the Council because all our problems are either ignored or delayed. We don’t have functioning streetlights and every week there seems to be a water leakage issue. The Council comes to fix the problems, but they don’t do it properly and the very same leaks happen again. The constant leaks can even lead to a sinkhole in our area, which can
have dire consequences for residents living here. It’s very frustrating for residents who are trying to live in a safe and functioning community. We need serious leadership in our ward, Ward 61, who are genuinely for the people and who will take responsibility for resolving issues instead of just playing around or giving excuses. Repeated delays, poor repairs and lack of accountability show that the Council does not care about the day-to-day problems of residents. People are living with ongoing frustration and inconvenience and it affects everyone in the community, from families to the elderly and children. I’m a gardener by profession, and one time I was doing gardening at Naeem Patel’s house. The bill was R400, but Naeem never paid me. I asked him several times for payment and he
just ignored me. So anyone can judge what kind of person Naeem is. Residents deserve leaders who listen, respond and ensure that basic services like streetlights and water supply are maintained efficiently, without repeated problems or negligence.”
Lakba Kantu, also of Vrolikspruit Street, told the Laudium Sun, “It is time for us to change our political leader because if we don’t have a proper leader who can genuinely serve the people, then we are really moving backward as a society. Look at the state of our community; streetlights are not working, water leaks continue and many issues have not been fixed despite repeated complaints. We cannot just sit and do nothing while basic services are neglected and residents continue to suffer. Leadership matters and it is crucial that the people we elect are committed to improving the lives of the community, not just occupying positions for personal gain or promoting themselves on certain social media platforms, where we don’t have the right to reply. The current situation shows that poor leadership affects everyone. Simple problems that could be solved quickly remain unresolved, causing frustration and inconvenience for residents every day. I urge people to choose their leaders wisely. Electing a responsible, dedicated and accountable leader is the only way to ensure that our streets are safe, clean and functional and that residents receive proper service delivery. Our community deserves solid, reliable service, and it is up to the people to make the right choice so that we can move forward and not fall further behind.”
