The lack of development in Windmill Park has convinced residents to think that they are the forgotten ward in Boksburg.
Residents complained that they have to walk long distances to go to the Dawn Park Police Station or the clinic if they don’t have taxi money.
One of the residents, Rea Bosch said, “In Windmill Park there’s a high rate of crime caused by unemployment. The youth have resorted to smoking drugs because there are no resource centres for the youth like the libraries that can keep them busy during the holidays or after schools.”
Bosch added that they always have their community meetings at a park because they don’t have a community hall.
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“Some of the areas in Windmill Park don’t have street lights or are not working. We feel like we are forsaken community because the people we voted for in power are the ones who are not taking care of our needs,” Bosch said.
Another resident, Magdeline van der Merwe, said they can’t remember when last did they have a meeting with Clr Bruce Reid because he never attends to their complaints.
She said when she spoke to him recently about food parcels he responded by saying that he will see her when the Covid-19 is over because he was apparently blaming the mayor.
“We run our soup kitchen in the streets because we don’t have facilities. Last month the leaders in our area organised food parcels from the food bank, but they choose who to give the food to, to me this is all unfair,” van der Merwe said.
Furthermore, residents also complained about the non-enclosures of the parks.
“Recently one child who was playing at the park was run over by a vehicle because motorists use the park as a short cut to their destination instead of using the main roads,” Bosch said.
Young people also added their voices.
Marshall Koneight, said, “We don’t get RDP houses because our land is being sold to private property companies. We need houses. It’s not a nice feeling to be staying at the back at your mother’s house but there’s nothing we can do because the government is failing to give us houses,” he said.
Van der Merwe said the government has failed them. “We have been living in Windmill Park for two decades, but we have nothing to show. We want the government to hear our voices,” she said.
Youth leader Romano Johnson said over the past few years they have had MMC’s and MEC’s from various departments who have promised them development, but they haven’t witnessed anything.
In 2017, the community of Windmill Park went to the streets to protest for the above-mentioned complaints. In 2017, Reid insisted that he has repeatedly addressed service delivery issues in Windmill Park.
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According to Reid, he made efforts back in 2012 for Windmill Park to have access to its own clinic. “I added a clinic to the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for my ward, but the council said they cannot build a clinic within 15km of an existing clinic.”
Just before the 2014 national elections, the MEC for health had a public meeting in Windmill Park and promised the residents that the province would provide them with a mobile clinic, but we are still waiting,” said Reid.
He further stated that the reason why Windmill Park doesn’t have facilities for the youth is that there is no council-owned land available in Windmill Park to build facilities for the community as replied by the Department for Sports, Heritage, Recreation, Arts and Culture (SHRAC) in 2013.
He also defended his availability as a ward councillor. “It is news to me that I am not always available. At the last public meeting, I had to leave as the community were threatening my life.”
They were demanding their electricity be reconnected. It had been cut off due to non-payment of municipal accounts. I advised the residents, those who apply, to register as indigents to get free basic services.
He also pointed out that the residents are demanding a police station in Windmill Park, but he said this is a national government competency and does not fall under the municipality.
The Advertiser is awaiting comment from the metro. Clr Bruce Reid did make contact with the Advertiser and we will include his comments in a follow-up report.
