Imbizo reveals Edenvale’s progress

The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM ) has attained several achievements in the Edenvale Ward in the fields of energy, water and sanitation, and human settlement.

The achievements were revealed when Ekurhuleni’s executive mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele, lead his executive committee into communities to report on the status of service delivery through the Mayoral Izimbizo programme.

The two-day mayoral Izimbizo was used to report back on the municipal performance for the 2013 to 2014 financial year and also provided area-specific, ground breaking announcements regarding the 2014 to 2015 financial year.

The achievements in energy included the upgrading of medium voltage cables in Edenvale, Isandovale and Bedfordview and the installation of new street lighting in Lunik Drive, Isandovale and Terrace Road, Sebenza.

The achievements in water and sanitation included the replacement of asbestos-cement water pipes in the Eastleigh area, Lewis Street, Elma Park, High Road, Terrace Road, Republic Road, Danie Theron Street and Central Avenue.

Water pipes have been replaced in Sebenza, Cunningham Road and Highway Gardens.

The report revealed that challenges relating to water and sanitation in the Edenvale ward were the backfilling of excavations as well as the reinstatement of paved areas, the deteriorating and aged infrastructure and lack of roadworthy vehicles in the first quarter.

The frequent sewer blockages that have been encountered due to the continuous problem of storm water infiltration and illegal diversion into the sewer network were also a challenge for the EMM.

The achievements in human settlements included the converting of the housing waiting list to a housing demand database, which is to be utilised as a planning tool for the prioritisation of households and individuals.

The EMM will also reinforce the policy which allows for a percentage of all Greenflelds developments to include a percentage allocation for households qualifying and on the waiting list.

According to the report, some of the human settlement challenges facing the EMM in the Edenvale area are the privately and state owned land occupied illegally, organic settlements without any form of town planning logic and abnormally high densities and the lack of security of tenure.

Another challenge in the Edenvale ward are the areas with various environmental challenges, which makes the settlements unhabitable due to dolomite and flood planes. @BedfordJourno