Councillors tackle service delivery issues in Overport

OVERPORT is the focus of local ward councillors who are working hard to clean up the area and make it an area people can be proud to reside in.

Overport extends across two wards, ward 31 and ward 25, which are represented respectively by DA councillors Chris Pappas and Hassan Haniff who are doing their utmost in addressing service delivery issues.

“It is about getting the basics right. We have to make sure that the street lights are working, the potholes are fixed and that our area is kept clean. If you are passionate about working for the community then what we do isn’t work, it is a calling,” said Pappas.

Haniff said DA councillors faced many challenges in delivering services in the city.

“Everything we do is twice as difficult as it should be. It is a constant fight to make sure that Overport residents are not forgotten. We are very fortunate that in our area there are municipal officials who are as passionate as we are about good service delivery,” said Haniff.

In preparing a plan for Overport for their five year tenure, the two councillors said they had discovered that the municipality has no Local Area Plan for the area known as Overport.

“We were shocked to hear this. How can we expect economic growth and development if the city has no plan for our community, let alone infrastructure and social development? I have asked the economic development and planning department to please factor this into their next budget,” said Pappas.

Haniff and Pappas can be seen on the streets of their ward every day, logging areas of concern to bring to the attention of city officials.

“We keep a log of the faults that we report and make sure that they are attended to. We work closely with each other to make sure that we are available to the community at all times,” he said.

The Overport community is encouraged to join the service delivery whatsApp groups by contacting Remona on 081 041 5404 or Azhar on 081 387 8444.