DA learns first-hand about pothole repairs
A national roadshow was launched to get first-hand knowledge about the lack of service delivery in the municipality.
Shalimar Ridge was a hive of activity when the DA’s leadership arrived on July 13 to learn first-hand what it took to fix potholes in Heidelberg.
Various role players were in attendance, including the DA leader, John Steenhuisen, provincial leader Solly Msimanga, Meyerton Mayor Peter Teixeira, the DA Gauteng Caucus, DA Vaal regional chairperson Prudence Hlanyane, AfriForum Heidelberg chairperson Dr Willem Sprong and Conquerer Manufacturers owner Tinus de Vries.
Steenhuisen was on a nationwide tour to see first-hand which areas needed help and what it would take to effect change.
Ward 8 Clr Yvonne van Coller welcomed everyone to the event.
“Due to failures of the municipality, we as a community need to get together to repair areas that are the responsibility of Lesedi Local Municipality,” said Van Coller.
“There is much infrastructural damage in Heidelberg that is an eyesore and causes problems in the community.
“We need to stand together and focus on change. Together, we can make a difference in our communities and suburbs.
“Our focus must be on our communities and where we can make life easier.
“We need to be strong as a community, support each other and believe a change for the better is on the horizon,” said Wendy Alexander, the DA political leader for Lesedi.
Sprong from AfriForum spoke about how the pothole project started and how it had grown since its inception last year.
“We want to make a difference in Heidelberg, and this is the start,” he said.
“We have already repaired about 2 500 potholes in Heidelberg, and there just seem to be more and more that need attention.
“Apart from the potholes, we are also doing road marking repairs where they are badly damaged and need an upgrade.”
Steenhuisen thanked everyone for their effort to make a difference.
“We want to give hope to the smaller towns in SA and then move it to the bigger towns,” he said.
“Our approach stems through a whole-of-society approach. To effect change, we need active involvement in various aspects and repairing potholes is one of the areas.
“We are building an ecosystem of change to partner with AfriForum.
“To stop the collapse of the infrastructure, we need to action the severe maladministration of local government in provinces across the country.
“Under the current leadership, Lesedi Local Municipality is plagued by service delivery failures like malfunctioning streetlights, potholes, limited maintenance of parks and recreational spaces, vandalism of electrical boxes by scrap metal thieves, inconsistent meter readings, and no enforcement of local by-laws.
“These failures of basic functions by the local administration paralyse economic activity, affect municipal revenue streams, and seriously affect the sustainable functionality of the municipality.
“Lesedi is just one example of what many small towns in SA have become under a corrupt government.
“It is not impossible to rescue SA, but it will require more people and community members to stand hand-in-hand to effect change.
“The monumental task of rescuing our country from state collapse cannot be done by political parties alone.
“We need the community to do their part to ensure SA does not fall further into decay.”
After the speeches, the DA leaders received a crash course on what pothole repairs entailed – preparing the area, jackhammering, clearing the area, tamping the soil, and filling the hole with the correct mixtures to seal the pothole.
“We want to thank everyone present for fostering relationships to get service delivery back on track,” said Alexander.
“With everyone rolling up their sleeves and standing together, we are making a difference.”
