The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) is in crisis mode and continues to limp from crisis to crisis.
This is according to alderman Jackie Reilly, the DA councillor for ward 31 in Brakpan.
Reilly told the Herald that residents of Dalpark Extensions Nine and 11, which fall in her ward, have been waiting months for basic service delivery, while the excuses for the lack of grass cutting and general maintenance are leaving residents frustrated.
“After back and forth communication, it eventually emerged that the contractor responsible for delivering grass cutting services had up and left without fulfilling their contractual agreement,” she said.
“It is the metro’s responsibility to ensure contractual agreements are honoured, and the metro should have investigated the matter after they received the first complaint and taken the necessary steps to rectify the situation.
“Instead, they waited two months, only to be told that the contractor had gone AWOL.
“The metro thinks that it is acceptable practice to have delayed services, while residents are still expected to pay rates and taxes.
“The residents of Ekurhuleni deserve better.”
Reilly explained that the lack of regular grass cutting on vacant stands and parks leads to illegal dumping, rodent infestation and the development of hot spots for criminal activities.
“I have reported the matter time and time again to the executive mayor, Clr Mzwandile Masina, but to date, he has not responded to any of my messages,” she said.
“Subsequently, in response to his speech made during the March council meeting, he promised that if he received any complaints sent to him regarding grass cutting that the matter would be dealt with within two hours.
“Again, I sent the complaint to the mayor requesting his urgent attention to the grass cutting debacle in Dalpark Nine and 11 – I have still to receive a response.”
Reilly added that the ANC-led coalition seemingly doesn’t care about this metro’s people.
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