I have been a property owner and resident in Alberton for over 40 years, having had our first house built by Alberton Construction in Prince Albert Street, Brackenhurst when Prince Albert Street was the southern boundary road of Alberton.
Under the non-party Alberton Town Council of those days we enjoyed the best services and the lowest rates of any town in the Republic. Our municipal officials were personally elected by the people, not appointed by any political party. Life was great.
I now live in a townhouse complex in Brackendowns, alone since the passing of my dear wife two years ago. I walk every day for exercise.
In my daily walk I despair when I see how badly preserved our once beautiful suburb has become. Sidewalks overgrown, dead trees left standing, other trees with dead branches overhanging either the houses or the streets just waiting to fall on some unsuspecting passers-by. The Escom servitude that runs through our suburb is a rat infested eyesore that is only roughly cut once, or if we are fortunate, maybe twice a year!
A sidewalk in Bamboes Street adjacent to a vacant lot, council’s responsibility as there is no owner/resident, is overgrown and has now become a dumping site for passers-by.
Two street corners on Witivoor and Neville streets and the next intersection with Neville where the council dug trenches to reconnect electric light posts and left the trenches unfilled, are now filling up with rubbish and leaves – the mounds of earth left behind rendering it impossible to use the sidewalk and impossible for the owners/residents to tidy up the areas outside their homes.
This was done so long ago that the plastic striped tape placed by the council has faded and is now plain white. Street name signs have been vandalised so long ago that they are now so badly rusted that some are indecipherable.
If only the once proud Parks Department still existed! If only the local councillor who stated “We do not believe in removing trees” would care to take a slow stroll up Bamboes Street into Mariti Street and down Neville Street, they would have their eyes opened to what is really happening all over Alberton.
I am tempted to withhold payment of my rates and taxes until something is done and to encourage the whole city to do the same.
Tom Borrill
