Shocking poor service delivery by the ANC led Tshwane Council in the Laudium area, continues to leave many residents disappointed with both the Tshwane Council and the ANC Ward Councillor, Naeem Patel.
Residents say that despite complaining for days, weeks and even years about various problems in the area, their complaints are met with deaf ears by both Patel and the Tshwane Council, with some residents even alleging that Patel gives priority to the rich and those who fund him.
In one of the latest complaints received by the Laudium Sun, residents living on Mustard Street, in White Blocks, said that a mini electric sub-station has been left open by Council workers for over two years now, posing a danger to those living in the area, especially the kids, who could easily be electrocuted. The residents say that Patel also knows about the danger the open electric door poses and about the rubbish dumped around it, posing an additional danger, being a fire hazard for the electricity box. Residents also complained about missing manhole covers.
Monique Diedricks, a resident of Mustard Street, told the Laudium Sun, “The electric meter box has been open for two years now, despite repeated complaints made by the residents of Mustard Street to the Council. We are scared and deeply concerned because I have personally seen children playing near the exposed meter box. It’s terrifying because the electric box is fully functional — imagine what could happen if a child touches one of the live wires. It could be disastrous. We’ve reported the issue several times, but the Council officials simply walk through our street and do nothing to fix the problem. To make matters worse, the area around the meter box has become a dumping ground. This raises even more concern, as anyone could burn the rubbish, increasing the risk of a huge disaster, as the electric box would then explode. Vagrants have also been stealing from the open meter box. Sometimes, the entire street loses power because homeless individuals or drug users steal wires or other components from it. This issue must be resolved urgently. The Councillor needs to pay attention and take immediate action. We are facing a very serious problem, and the Council office must come and fix this as soon as possible.”
Mustard Street resident, Lavishnie Pillay, told the Laudium Sun, “The open electric meter box is a serious problem that we, the residents of Mustard Street, are currently facing. We are really worried about the safety of our community’s children, as they often play in the street. I’m scared that someone might go near the box and touch the live wires. The Council must come and fix this issue urgently. People are also dumping scrap and garbage near the meter box, which is completely unacceptable. This box is fully functional, and if someone — knowingly or unknowingly — touches it, it could lead to a total disaster. I strongly urge the council to take this matter seriously and fix it immediately. There are also many missing manholes covers which is dangerous as anyone can fall inside the manhole drain.”
residents are really worried about the safety of the community’s children, as the kids often play on the street.
David Leola, another resident of Mustard Street, told the Laudium Sun, “This situation is extremely dangerous, especially when you consider there’s an open electric meter box with its doors left wide open. As adults, we understand the risks involved — but what about the children? They don’t know anything about the dangers of an electric meter box. Our main concern is that the box is completely exposed, and to make matters worse, people have started using the area around it as a dumping ground. We’ve reported this issue to the Council several times, but we’ve been ignored every time we approached them. They keep giving excuses, like saying they don’t have the resources — but I don’t understand what resources are needed just to close the doors of a meter box. It shows how little attention the Councillor is giving to White Blocks. Service delivery in Laudium is virtually non-existent, and politicians only seem to know how to make big promises and line their own pockets.”
A resident who did not want to be named, told the Laudium Sun, “I called Cllr Patel many times about the open electricity box door, but he ignored me. Today (Wednesday, May 14), I again called him and told him that you guys, the Laudium Sun, was going to do a story on it. Patel seemed worried and then immediately told me that he will attend to the matter urgently.”
*As per our previous article, many residents from White Blocks are still waiting for Patel to visit them to discuss their problems concerning the Council, after challenging him to come without his ‘security guard’, Shaheen Wahab and other CPF members. Residents say that Patel should come, just like the time when he met them during elections, wooing them for votes. One resident commented, “When Patel came to us for votes during elections, he came alone with Essop. Nowadays we can’t speak to him without his ‘henchmen’ from the CPF. Why and what is he afraid of?”