The ward 66 councillor, Clr Carlos Da Rocha, said the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) is failing its duties and failing the residents of his ward.
Clr Da Rocha said he has received complaints from residents and he has also observed the increasing number of vehicles that are parked on the pavements, some of which are broken.
“I have been complaining for several years about trucks that are illegally parked along the pavements and on the roads, obstructing traffic and destroying council property. My latest request was about removing trucks parked in the middle of Kitchener Street in Kensington. There are a lot of others parked on and damaging the pavements,” he said.
Clr Da Rocha said he was surprised by a recent request from a JMPD officer when he followed up on this matter.
“A JMPD Sergeant asked me to provide him with a list of all the trucks parked illegally in my ward. I do not see why I should be the one compiling the list. It is the JMPD’s duty to patrol and act up on these transgressions,” Clr Da Rocha said.
He said it took a year for the JMPD to order the owner of a broken down bus, on 9th Avenue in Bezuidenhout Valley, to remove it.
He said he also received complaints from residents about contractors working through the night and even on Sundays.
“Jack hammers were going on until late at night. On Sunday, residents called me saying they are having no rest because the jack hammers ran throughout the day. When I request assistance from JMPD officers, they told me there was nothing they could do about it,” said Clr Da Rocha.
The EXPRESS sent an inquiry on February 23 to the JMPD spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, and requested comment by February 24 at 10am.
At the time of going to print, no comment had been received.
