Residents petition Durban city for better services

WARD councillors in Durban are urging residents to sign a petition to end water and power outages in eThekwini.

This comes after numerous burst water pipes and power outages have plagued the area leaving residents inconvenienced for hours on end.

In March, resident, Malcolm Smith contacted Berea Mail to say the number of power outages in Glenwood had ‘gone beyond a joke’ and questioned why it was happening.

“The municipal number is never answered and there were outages three times in one month. We are so dependent on electricity and for the municipality not to answer and give reasons for the outages is unfair,” he said.

In April a huge burst in Trematon Drive left people without water for over 24 hours, and the following weekend there was a burst pipe in Musgrave, which affected many residents.

ALSO READ: Councillor to address water and electrical issues

Councillor Chris Pappas took the matter to social media on Friday when he posted a petition calling on the city to intervene and invited people to sign it.

“We call on the eThekwini Municipality to urgently intervene in the growing problems with water and electricity outages in the central Durban area. Old, outdated and under-maintained infrastructure must be replaced to avoid continued outages that are affecting the ratepayers of the central Durban area. The mayor and city manager must intervene immediately. eThekwini residents have a right to better services,” he said.

A resident in Umbilo, Anita Mc Intyre who has kept at record of the number of bursts in Elgie Road where she lives said there had been 15 bursts between 18 September 2017until mid-February 2018..

“Elgie Road is a small road in the area and there were burst pipes every month in the road. The water rushes down the road and ends up by my driveway,” she said.

Mc Intyre said not only were the bursts concerning, but that there was a delay in processes in the municipality to attend to them.

She said on 16 January a pipe burst underground and the city fixed the pipe but filled the hole outside her property with stone and sand. When she followed over a week later, she was informed that the matter would be attended to.

“I called again on 12 February and was told they would send someone out the next day, but no-one arrived. On 14 February I was told my case was closed and had gone to the roads department. On 18 February there was another burst pipe in Elgie Road and all the water damaged my driveway even more. We could hardly get into or out of our driveway. I called again on 22 February and received another reference number, and was told the job had been completed, however it had not,” she said.

ALSO READ: Crumbling infrastructure in urgent need of maintenance

Mc Intyre said her driveway was tarred on 27 February but she was shocked by the workmanship.

“I work for the department of public works, and I have never seen worse workmanship. There was tar in the rails of my gate and splattered on my wall. I contacted the municipality and was given the number for an official, who I contacted but received no joy. Why we are paying rates? What worries me is this contractor was paid for such poor workmanship, and has devalued my property,” she said.

Berea Mail contacted the city for comment on 9 March, but has yet to receive a response.

Residents can contact the municipality for water queries via WhatsApp on 073 148 3477.

To sign the petition online at https://t.co/J0TUJe5KnO.

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