EDITOR – I am a Bedfordview resident and have always been a huge DA supporter.
I had only the utmost respect for our councillor, Michelle Clark, and have always voted DA.
Unfortunately, I am not sure who will be getting my vote this year with the general elections. Bedfordview is looking sad and very neglected.
Our roads are full of potholes, our pavements are overgrown and public areas are overgrown. I have not seen much of Michelle Clark in the papers lately and I am convinced that Bedfordview has been forgotten.
Is the DA going to keep Bedfordview? Do they want our votes? Maybe it is time for change?
JENNIE SMITH,
BEDFORDVIEW.
Letter received on March 5.
EDITOR’S COMMENT- DA Spokesperson Community Safety, Ward 20 Councilor Clr Michele Clarke, commented as follows:
Bedfordview falls under the jurisdiction of the Ekurhuleni Metro which is governed by the ANC, or rather misgoverned. The DA is not in control of the budget of this Metro. Ward 20 does not just comprise Bedfordview, but also Primrose Hill, Wychwood, Malvern East, Simmerfield, Dania Park, Bedford Gardens, Oriel, Morninghill and the greater Bedfordview.
Councillors are not involved in the appointment of contractors to council, nor the 18 000 staff members employed by Ekurhuleni. This is all done through the political leadership of the ANC. The DA is in opposition and I can assure you that if we were in power, I would guarantee that Bedfordview would look far better. The City of Cape Town is evidence of better governance where the DA is in power.
As anyone else, I have no say about what is printed in the media but I write many statements in my day-to-day work in order to communicate with residents en masse. Obviously, I report issues within my ward on a daily basis to the relevant departments. I attend daily meetings within my ward to address issues and raise the shortcomings of the budget to address service delivery issues within Bedfordview and the other suburbs that form part of my ward.
I hold a monthly public meeting which is normally well attended by the community and at which issues are raised for officials to take note of. It is through these meetings community members get to understand fully how budgets and funding are split up in Ekurhuleni, which covers a vast area from Nigel to Kempton Park.
While it is not my place to defend council, but rather to serve residents, I have to say that due to the recent heavy rains, all departments are experiencing huge backlogs. Bedfordview falls within the Northern Region of the metro with Edenvale, Kempton Park, Tembisa, Phomolong, Pomona, Boksburg and Benoni.
At this point in time, many service delivery contracts have still not been renewed and service delivery is being seriously hampered within the whole of Ekurhuleni.
If only the DA was in overall power, my job would yield the kind of results that you are entitled to and deserve. My passionate hope is that we win power in Gauteng on May 7 to lead us to taking over the government of Ekurhuleni in the 2016 local government elections.
