Councillor not to blame – Thorne
"He complained about the state of Kensington and compared it to another suburb. I emailed Clr Da Rocha and he went out immediately."
Clr Carlos da Rocha, of ward 66, cannot be blamed for the current state of Kensington.
This was stated by Ms Elaine Thorne, from the Kensington Heritage Trust last week.
She was commenting on negative comments made against Clr Da Rocha as a result of the mounds of rubbish lining the streets and other service delivery breakdowns.
She said she had had a conversation with Clr Da Rocha about the state of Kensington last week.
“I received a call from a person who has just moved into Kensington. He complained about the state of Kensington and compared it to another suburb. I emailed Clr Da Rocha and he went out immediately. He is vigilant, reports problems and takes action. Where would we be without a councillor like him?
“We have just come out of the Christmas holidays. The grass needs cutting as we have had a lot of rain. The illegal dumping is completely unacceptable. What a filthy society we are, I am ashamed to say,” said Ms Thorne.
She said residents are quick to blame the councillors, service providers such as Pikitup and other city departments. “What about us as residents doing our part? We are our own worst enemy,” she said.
She said people need to report bylaw contraventions, those who are guilty and try keep surroundings clean. She said that if people turn a blind eye, she shudders to think what will become of Kensington.
“We need to take photographs and report these problems. Maybe we can name and shame people if they are caught,” said Ms Thorne.
