Marlands residents are tired of continual municipal infrastructure problems in the area.
If they are not sitting in the dark due to another power failure, they have water streaming down the roads due to water leaks or added security risks at night because street lights are not working.
Wendy Rodwell, a resident in the area, told the GCN that the situation has become untenable.
“To say it has become ridiculous is a gross understatement.
“The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality is doing its utmost to make paying residents suffer the consequences of their gross incompetence, lack of understanding, and total mismanagement,” she said.
Wendy sent the GCN 27 reference numbers for issues reported over the last month which the GCN sent to the metro for comment.
When it came to reporting problems she said that she had had the phone put down on her or not answered on a number of occasions.
Power outages in the area are of huge concern to some residents, specifically those in Fifth Avenue, being left without power for three days recently.
“The excuses given to Tiziana Plaskitt, the Ward 92 councillor for our area, are ridiculous and we, as a community, are now looking for truthful answers,” Wendy said.
Another recent power outage was communicated as load shedding but Wendy said the metro did not adhere to the load shedding schedule and that the power was out for an hour, on for a minute, then off again, then on again.
Residents want to know who pays for the electrical appliances that are damaged as a result.
Who pays for the spoiled food?
How do they go about claiming for same without having to wait months for compensation?
“In addition, we have elderly people living in this area who are reliant on power for life-giving oxygen,” said Wendy.
“The amount of water leakages and the unacceptable amount of time it has taken to repair them is also beyond ridiculous.
“If the powers that be advertise and encourage us to save water, then surely, they should lead by example?
“Most of us feel that this situation will only be resolved if a comprehensive investigation is done on the Ekurhuleni municipality, commencing with the energy division.
“Where is the money going to, or where has it gone to?
“If something is not done about this, we are all afraid that the situation will only get worse than it has in the last few years,” said Wendy.
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She added that the streets of Primrose and surrounds are disgusting and that dustbin bags are simply left to rot in the streets.
“The municipal bins on the corner of Oak Avenue and Barbara Road took seven weeks to be emptied.
“They were only emptied because I complained repeatedly and told them that I was going to notify the press.
“The municipality decided to remove the bins as well, so now people just throw their rubbish in the streets,” Wendy said.
Another grievance is the ongoing saga of street lights not working.
They are only fixed when residents repeatedly call and report them.
“This situation has become a real problem for our community and we seek answers and a resolution,” Wendy said.
Themba Gadebe, the spokesperson for the metro said, “We are aware of the electricity situation as reported.
“With regard to four of the reference numbers relating to street lights, the street lights were repaired and we will keep monitoring and maintaining them.
“The power outages experienced in Marlands and the surrounding areas are due to cable faults on the network.
“The Marlands electrical network is old and volatile and minor faults impact larger areas.
“We are upgrading Marlands and the surrounding areas to strengthen our network.
“Upgrading also has its impact as new and old cables are almost running in the same trenches, and in some instances, while trenching we tend to interfere with live cables resulting in power failures.
“The project is currently at 45 per cent completion, and once completed we believe the electricity supply will be stable.”
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