Resident infuriated by poor verge upkeep

ASHLEY homeowner, Bev Farrell has been in a never-ending, back and forth battle with the eThekwini Municipality to cut the overgrown verge next to her home.

Farrell, who has lived in Ashley for more than 50 years, claims that, year in and year out, this particular verge is left neglected and, when the City’s grass cutting contractors do come, they do a haphazard job.

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“This overgrown verge has become a home to many pests, including rats. I have resorted to buying rodent repellents to keep the rats from entering my property,” she said.

Farrell, at one point, hired a private grass cutter to trim back the overgrown grass and trees. This is something the pensioner said she was not able to keep doing as it was an expensive task.

After the Highway Mail was informed about the problematic verge, the eThekwini Municipality was contacted and it promised that the contractors would ensure the verge was cut and cleared.

“The City has tasked the co-op responsible for grass cutting in the area to cut the grass. They should be cutting in the resident’s road in Ashley. We apologise for the delay,” said the eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela.

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According to Mayisela, the grass cutting season commences in September/October and lasts until July. “The City undertakes eight cuts per year, on a 6-week cutting cycle. The new three-year contract for grass cutting commenced this year in October,” said Mayisela.

Farrell said that while the municipality did indeed cut the verge, she noted that the workmanship was ‘unprofessional’.

“Less than half of the verge has been cut and none of the grass that has been cut has been cleared,” she said.

The eThekwini Municipality failed to comment on why they verge was not fully cut by the time of going to print.

Farrell has called on the municipality to prioritise cleaning and maintaining the verge and those surrounding it.

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