State of ward frustrates councillor

Ward 118’s councillor, Clr Carlos da Rocha, has urged the city manager to take note and act on the lack of service delivery in ward 66.

Clr Da Rocha said his ward continues to deteriorate despite numerous requests for service delivery.

He said he constantly reports any problems he sees and those that residents report to him to the relevant departments. Instead of seeing action, nothing happens.

Clr Da Rocha said he wrote to the city manager, Mr Trevor Fowler, in desperation and with great concern.

He said he told Mr Fowler that service delivery had ceased to exist in his ward since October.

“Residents are up in arms, demanding value for their money. They are ratepayers. They are demanding the service they are paying for, especially considering how the rates have increased so much. I cannot blame them. They are watching their investments lose value. This is why I approached the city manager,” said Clr Da Rocha.

Some of his concerns include the lack of service delivery from the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) and Pikitup.

He said damaged storm water slabs and manholes without covers have remained in that state for months with yellow barriers marking them all over the ward.

“Storm water covers are missing in just about every corner. The covers are not being replaced because there is no stock available. The city has not had a supplier for months.

“The grass is growing on the streets. Pavements that were dug up were not restored. The roads are disintegrating and there are no signs of them being repaired. There are also potholes everywhere,” said Clr Da Rocha. He added that if any repairs do take place, they are of a substandard workmanship.

Clr Da Rocha said he has asked for the grass to be cut in his ward on several occasions. While the grass was cut in some areas, he is not happy with how the work was conducted.

He said the grass gets cut in patches and grass cuttings are left in piles on the pavements with no signs of being cleared.

He also said dumping is taking place all over the ward.

“This indicates that the ‘pay for your stolen bin policy’ is not working. Most of the residents in my ward cannot afford to pay for a bin that costs nearly R400. They would rather use that money to buy food. Several streets are also not being swept. Wherever they do get swept, the work is substandard. Most of the rubbish is swept into the storm water drains. Pikitup is failing residents. This is not acceptable,” said Clr da Rocha.

He said he walked out of a recent councillor forum meeting in protest. “Officials only talk about what they want to do and never about what has been done. This, despite constant requests for them to provide information on what has been done. This has been going on for two years,” said Clr Da Rocha.

He said it is time Mr Fowler started taking note of what was going on in the city. “I want the relevant departments to start doing their jobs. I believe Mr Fowler lives in the area. I am shocked that he does not see the problems on his way home,” said Clr Da Rocha.

Ms Bertha Peters-Scheepers, from the JRA, said the depot has been working continuously in wards 66 and 118.

She said areas with open manholes have been made safe by the placement of yellow jersey barriers on the openings. “These will be replaced as soon as the JRA receives the manhole covers we are waiting for. Potholes and the unblocking of kerb inlets are being continuously done as per service requests. A consultant has been appointed to repair fencing along Second Street, in Bez Valley, at the open channel. The JRA is in the process of replacing kerb inlet slabs that have missing manholes on them which forms part of the roll out programme for the entire Region F,” said Ms Peters-Scheepers.

She said several storm water slabs have already been replaced in ward 66. “As these slabs are received from the supplier, the JRA will continue replacing them,” she said.

Ms Peters-Scheepers provided the EXPRESS with a spreadsheet of work done from July 1, 2013 to March 18.

Work conducted includes the placement of traffic signs, footway repairs, the painting of street names and pothole repairs.

The EXPRESS also forwarded an enquiry to Ms Pansy Oyedele, from Pikitup and Ms Jenny Moodley, from JCPZ. The EXPRESS also forwarded an enquiry to Mr Fred Mokoko, from the CoJ. He said the EXPRESS should speak to Mr Nthatisi Modingoane. The EXPRESS forwarded the enquiry to him. At the time of going to print, no comment was received from any of the officials.