The influx of dustbin diggers, fast food vendors who cook on open fires, taxis that park anywhere, long-dead palm trees and the poor state of the community centre in Eastleigh, left an Edenvale resident and ward councillors hopeless.
Edenvale resident Stephen Ridge raised concerns about Eastleigh, especially Main, Fountain and Edendale roads.
According to Ridge, the declining upkeep of the area left him wondering whether the people in the area are bound by any laws.
“Eastleigh has deteriorated tremendously over the last few years,” he said.
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Ridge acknowledged that most of the people in the Eastleigh area are struggling to make ends meet.
“My sympathies are with the desperate people, but surely they should be bound by council by-laws,” he said.
Ward 18 Clr Heather Hart said she has made past efforts, all of which have failed when it comes to addressing Eastleigh concerns.
“Informal traders are not controlled or monitored. There is no permitting in place for recyclers who have become both a blessing and a plight on our town.
“Some are legitimate and do an excellent job at removing plastic from landing up in our landfills, but many recycle simply to feed their addictions,” said Hart.
“It appears that a large proportion of our recyclers not only strip and leave their debris on our streets, but also sleep on our streets. Despite our requests that they be neat and tidy and respect the law, they are becoming a law unto themselves,” said Hart.
She said the metro focuses on lodged complaints instead of overall maintenance.
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“Metro operates on the basis of crisis management. There is very little, if any, planned maintenance undertaken,” said Hart.
Ward 19 Clr Bill Rundle said problems on Edendale and Main roads and Central Avenue are well documented with the metro.
“Many petitions are done and submitted to the council, not to mention the public meetings on service delivery being advertised,” said Rundle.
Rundle said he believes Eastleigh is not prioritised by the metro.
“Many factory owners have sold up and moved and thus lost jobs and revenue for the metro. This does not appear to be factors of concerns,” said Rundle.
The NEWS sent an inquiry to the metro, questioning what is being done about the area and the concerns.
Comment was requested by close of business on March 27. On the same day, metro confirmed it has received the inquiry.
At the time of going to print, no comment had been received.
