Residents of Mimosa Park call for the resignation of Councillor
The residents said it is time for new leadership that listens and acts.
Discontent is brewing among Mimosa Parks residents after enduring over five days without power and inadequate communication on the issue.
Last Tuesday, the residents invited Germiston City News so could voice their dissatisfaction over service delivery.
They claim they have been mistreated for far too long and now demand accountability and change.
“The councillor is not prioritising the residents as she should, especially in times of need.
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“We are constantly redirected and never receive clear answers. It is not just about the inconvenience but also our health and safety.
“We pay our taxes and expect basic services in return. It is winter, and without power, we sometimes have to bathe in cold water,” said resident Kathrine Johnson.
Peter Pretorius, another resident, expressed his frustration at having to send his children to family because of the lack of power.
“It’s cold, and having no power is challenging with little ones. We need electricity for cooking and bathing. What is worse is I couldn’t tell my family when I’d pick up the kids because we got no feedback from our councillor,” Pretorius said.
Residents allege the councillor prioritises other areas over theirs.
“Our power went off before neighbouring areas, yet those areas had power back within a day. Even then, the councillor didn’t explain the situation. It is unfair as we are all paying customers.
“The city is quick to cut off power for missed payments but slow to assist when there is an outage,” said resident Thembi Nkosi.
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The frustrations have reached boiling point, prompting residents to call for the councillor’s resignation.
“Our councillor should be our voice in the city, but we feel abandoned. It’s time for new leadership that listens and acts.
“We don’t want a councillor who deletes messages she doesn’t like, blocks residents who ask questions, and fails to provide answers,” Nkosi stated.
Despite the power being restored on Tuesday, the residents remain unhappy with how they were treated.
Ward 39 Clr Jean Ingram explained that Mimosa Park had experienced ongoing outages for two weeks.
“On July 18, many residents contact me about the outages. I obtained a list of the affected addresses and ensured the Germiston Energy Department received it,” Ingram explained.
The initial cause of the outages was a burst water pipe on Rautenbach Street, which damaged an electrical cable.
“Despite the pipe being fixed on Friday, the electrical repair required the water first be drained. I spent most of Saturday with the energy department and contractors while they worked,” Ingram said.
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Additional faults were discovered during the repairs, leading to further delays.
“Despite my efforts, the energy department did not perform the necessary testing or switch back the power as promised. On Sunday, they advised me they would attend to Mimosa Park after completing work in another area. By Monday, they still hadn’t arrived,” Ingram said.
On Tuesday, the energy team and the contractors found three more faults in the area that had to be repaired before they could restore the power. Ingram noted that the energy department does not provide feedback on power issues unless they involve widespread outages.
“The feedback I provide comes from my on-site presence and other sources. When the department fails to communicate, it fails the residents and me,” Ingram stated.
She called on the city manager and the mayor to address the residents’ needs.
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“I remain committed to doing my best for my residents and find it devastating that they must endure extended outages with little resolution from the relevant departments and officials,” Ingram said.
Germiston City News sent enquiries to the office of the speaker and the DA Gauteng regarding what steps residents could take if unhappy with a ward councillor.
Germiston City News received no comments from either party by the time of publication.
