Ward 118 councillor, Neuren Pietersen has been accused by a resident of not giving part of Malvern the attention it deserves.
The resident alleged that Pietersen disappeared in their area after the 2016 local elections. “Please help us find the new councillor for Ward 118, who seems to have disappeared after elections. We saw him once or twice during canvassing and at the voting station. It seems like all he wants to do is to get a fat salary and forget about the people,” said the angry resident, Thomas Vilakazi.
He said that service delivery has dropped since Pietersen became councillor. “Since he got elected, service delivery in the part of Malvern under his control has gone backwards, compared to the previous two councillors,” said Vilakazi who said the area has deteriorated and people operate their businesses illegally, anywhere.
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“Just drive down Jules Street and you’ll see hawkers selling all over the place and businesses doing repairs everywhere,” he said.
“I am sure he does not know his ward or what is going on in his ward. I wonder if he knows where Arena Close is or South Boulevard or Drosdty Street or whether he can tell us who put the white bollards in front of Fotheringham Park.
“Who put up a tent on the corner of St Frusquin and Heriot streets and had a church service? Did they have permission? Maybe he can enlighten us. I’m sure he won’t have any answers to some of the questions.”
Vilakazi said the previous two councillors were visible and noted complaints. “I do not know how he sleeps at night knowing that he is stealing money for not doing his job. I voted for the DA for the first time after seeing the previous councillors and [seeing how] Ward 66 councillor Carlos da Rocha is doing such a good job, but I am very disappointed with the service from Pietersen. He has not even called a public meeting to meet and introduce himself.
“He has been in office for two months and people do not know him or his plans for the area. We will probably see him again in 2020 just before the next local elections. I hope the DA will look into this and make sure that he does his work.”
When approached for comment, Pietersen said the area has deteriorated rapidly and he has been focusing on repairing the area “I can understand that Mr Vilikazi may feel that his councillor is not giving part of Malvern the attention it deserves. After all, the current state of Malvern, with its broken pavements, leaking pipes, illegal structures and clogged gutters, show that this district has been suffering from years of neglect. I am in no way pointing a finger at the previous councillors, as I know that both of them considered Malvern and its community to be an important part of their ward,” he said.
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“Malvern has suffered from a starvation of capital expenditure and sloppy service delivery. This has compounded into the myriad of problems we have today. Failing infrastructure such as collapsing pipes and broken rain water inlets change the way people feel about their neighbourhood. Residents lose pride in [the area] and so the fight to improve it becomes more difficult for all those who care,” said Pietersen.
He said he cares about his ward and has been working hard to improve it. “I want to assure [Mr Vilikazi] that I care. If he refers to my Facebook page @CllrNeuren he will see that Malvern does feature, along with Denver, Cleveland, Jumpers, Kensington, Bruma, Dewetshof, Bez Valley, Cyrildene and Linksfield.”
The councillor said he listed the suburbs in the hope that Vilikazi will be more charitable in his assessment of his performance. “There is a saying that Rome was not built in a day; [this is] not to excuse poor performance, but to show that to realise the fruits of hard work take time and I can assure him that his councillor is working very hard to improve the delivery of municipal services in Malvern, and all the other suburbs of Ward 118, without favour or prejudice,” assured Pietersen.
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