Complaints by residents of Laudium and Erasmia of poor service delivery by the ANC-led Tshwane Council, continue, with residents pointing fingers at Cllr Patel from the ANC, for not doing enough, in ensuring that their complaints are promptly attended to.
In one of the latest of many complaints received by the Laudium Sun, residents of Urban Str in Erasmia, have complained about a burst water pipe, that has not been attended to by Council officials, despite many complaints. Residents say that they fear that the ongoing underground leaking water pipe may result in a sinkhole, as the area is known to be susceptible to sinkholes. According to residents, water has been leaking from the middle of the street for at least four days, without any successful intervention from Cllr Patel.
Alli Gujaar, a resident of Urban Street, Erasmia, told the Laudium Sun, “The water pipe which has been leaking underneath the street for several days is causing major concern for all of us living here. We have already lodged complaints with the Council about it, but unfortunately, nothing has been done so far. This is really frustrating because every day that passes, the situation is getting worse. The constant flow of water has started weakening the road surface and now there are visible cracks forming all over. It’s becoming very dangerous, especially for cars and pedestrians who use this street daily. Many of us fear that if the problem continues, the road might collapse or sink, creating a huge hazard. The leak has also resulted in clean water running down the street, wasting hundreds of litres daily, while the Council does nothing. It is heartbreaking to see how such a simple issue, which could have been fixed immediately, is being ignored for so long. As residents, we feel completely helpless and abandoned. We pay our rates and taxes, yet when there is a serious problem like this, no one from the Municipality responds or even comes to inspect the area. We have called several times and every time we are told that the matter has been reported and will be attended to, but days have gone by and still no one has arrived. Cllr Patel’s office is also aware of the leak, but nothing has been done to stop the problem. The leaking pipe has also started to attract mosquitoes and create a bad smell, making it unpleasant to walk or even open windows near the affected area. Children who play nearby are also at risk and we are scared that one of them could get injured if the ground suddenly gives in. This is really disappointing and shows how poor the level of service delivery has become. The Council needs to act immediately before someone gets hurt or serious damage occurs. It feels like the authorities are good for nothing when it comes to fixing problems that directly affect residents’ safety. Nothing is being done for the welfare of the people and it seems like our voices are being ignored. All we are asking for is action — not promises.”
Urban Street resident, Rana Nasir, told the Laudium Sun, “We are really pissed off with the poor service we are getting from the Council. For the past several days, we have been struggling without proper water at home, as the water pressure has gone down, yet so
much clean water is being wasted because of the leaking pipe on our street. The Council is
fully aware of the situation, but they simply don’t want to fix it. It feels like they are punishing us instead of helping the community. Every day we watch litres and litres of water flowing down the road, while our taps at home are running dry. The water pressure is so low that we can hardly fill a bucket or take a proper bath. It’s become impossible to wash clothes, clean dishes, or even do simple household chores. What makes us even angrier is that the leak is happening right in front of everyone’s eyes, yet no one from the Municipality comes to attend to it. It’s a total shame and shows how little they care about the residents of Erasmia. The Council keeps talking about saving water, but what kind of example are they setting when they let water pour out onto the streets for days, without action? We feel completely neglected and disrespected, even by Cllr Patel. We pay our bills every month and still have to live like this. Instead of solving the issue, the authorities just give excuses or act as if it’s not their problem. This level of service is unacceptable and something needs to be done immediately. People are suffering because of the Council’s failure to take responsibility.”
Ilyas Mansor, also of Urban Street, told the Laudium Sun, “The Council must come and fix the water leak on our street urgently. This situation is really not right, as so much clean water has been wasting for days and nothing has been done so far. We have reported the
matter several times, yet no one has arrived to repair it. The water is flowing day and night, damaging the road and wasting precious resources. It’s frustrating to see how the
authorities and even our Councillor, Cllr Patel, ignore such issues, while residents suffer without proper water supply at home. Something must be done immediately.”