Councilor David Foley is hell-bent on tackling Ward 94’s service delivery issues
Ward 94 councilor David Foley appreciates authorities for addressing the burning issues in his ward even though it comes with a push.
Ward 94 councilor David Foley is grateful and relieved after numerous meetings with the Zandfontein Johannesburg Water management team to address the urgent repair of a decommissioned steel pipe that is crucial for water supply into Lonehill.
He said following persistent advocacy, the team responded to his plea, and the necessary repairs which commenced on July 14, and continued on July 15, were carried out.
Even though the leak was not severe, Foley said it was testing to watch clean litres of water going to waste.
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“I had a meeting with the Zandfontein water management team towards the end of June which was followed by a site visit on July 5. This was to discuss the resolution. That is how I was able to request that a collar or brace be fitted as the pipe is rotten and cannot be welded.
“The team from the water utility will continue to monitor for any leaks. Water is precious and we as a community need to save each drop by reporting any leaks via email to customerserviceemails@jwater.co.za.”
He said another challenge that resulted in a flurry of messages to his phone from residents in his ward was the problem of potholes. It was after seven months that the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) team promptly took action and began the process of repairing the potholes.
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“Minimal attention was given by the JRA to Ward 94 when it comes to this issue. Hence, I decided to escalate the action to the acting regional director to expedite some of the potholes, etc. The team is in the area which looks very promising to resolve all outstanding calls.”
JRA’s Mosa Makhalima said they have inspected most of the potholes and reinstatements in Ward 94.
“We started on Bushwillow on July 9, then proceed to other areas around wards 94 and 96.”
She said what usually cause such lengthy delays for repairs is that they have a huge backlog and the focus had been on the backlog for reinstatements. However, “We are nearing finishing the backlog.”
When asked how long it takes to fix them and complete reinstatements, she said it depends on the extent of the work needed for the reinstatement, on average it only takes one day to complete, from preparation to surfacing the service defects.
Foley said he is still struggling with JRA on the reinstatements when asked for an update so far.
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