LETTER: Benoni is heading for a breakdown

Farouk Araie writes:

I refer to the April 7 edition of the Benoni City Times.

On pages two and three, ‘Elderly living in inhumane conditions’ and the ‘News in Brief’, judging from your reports, it becomes evident that we are a failed city, which was once a pristine and progressive jewel of the East Rand.

Raw sewage pollutes our streets and the inner city infrastructure has virtually collapsed. A once first-world civil environment has now been reduced to a third-world slum, as existing infrastructure collapses into decay and is followed by complete degradation.

Crime continues unabated, as law enforcement institutions struggle to contain escalating crime which has become a mortal threat.

Cable theft continues to plague the entire area as thieves brazenly destroy critical power-generating systems with ruthless efficiency.

Illegal mining activities have escalated, subjecting the areas to blast zones as explosives rock many communities, shaking stable houses and damaging buildings and disturbing many aspects of the environment.

The attitude of those in the corridors of power is extremely disappointing. We are lurching from crisis to crisis as our areas struggle to cope with a plethora of problems.

No viable strategy, lack of vision and complacency, play a critical role as we slide into utter decay.

Environmental degradation is visible everywhere, as enforcement regulations are ignored.

Disregarding the law continues unabated, transgressors realise that lawbreakers have no regard for rules and safety. It becomes evident that we will be overwhelmed as events propel our area into zones of complete despair.

We need leaders of extreme vision to uplift us from these disgusting situations. Failure or procrastination could lead to a complete breakdown and utter chaos.

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