Lack of service delivery contributes to crime

The Cleveland Community Police Forum (CCPF) Sector 3 hosted its public meeting on Saturday, February 14.

The CCPF chairperson, Ms Bernadette Wentzel, said despite efforts to keep the meeting focussed on crime in Malvern, the reality is that lack of service delivery does have a negative impact on the suburb. She also said lack of service delivery is contributing to crime.

According to Ms Wentzel, the lack of street lights allow criminals to move about undetected, the long grass in the parks affords criminals hiding spaces and overgrown trees reduce light in high-crime areas.

“Our card councillor, Clr Mike Spadino, was in attendance and voiced his continued battle with the departments within our municipality. The reality is that the municipality is paid to offer basic services. Call centres aren’t accessible and agents do not take calls, which they are paid to do. Heads of various departments do not answer to our needs. The responsibility to cut the grass and to fix the street lights does not fall on the ward councillor. It is the responsibility of these various departments to do this, for which they get paid,” she added.

Clr Spadino showed the EXPRESS the state of some of the parks in the area.

He said the parks are neglected and the trees have not been trimmed. As a result, they are blocking the roads in the area.

Ms Wentzel urged the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) to start earning the salaries paid to it, to start communicating with communities, to deal with the community’s issues and to not avoid them.

“I call on the mayor of Johannesburg to take to task those departments not performing. Please work with the community to improve the safety of our area,” she said.

The City Parks spokesperson, Ms Noeleen Mattera, said she would investigate the matter regarding the parks in ward 118.

Ms Mattera said she would respond after speaking to the respective regional manager.

Ms Wentzel, can be contacted on 071 514 2224.