Streetslight project in President Park never completed
PRESIDENT PARK - Resident, Carol Bell said her heart sank when she read in the Midrand Reporter that more money had been allocated for streetlights in the area.
This after a streetlight project that began in October 2013 was abandoned.
In the article, Lights will soon grace developing areas in Midrand, Johannesburg Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment and Infrastructure Councillor Matshidiso Mfikoe said, “City Power, the City of Johannesburg’s power supply and maintenance entity, is to spend more than R2 million in the current financial year to provide 200 public lighting systems in areas such as Randjespark, President Park and Mafelandawonye.”
Bell said the city council had let residents down as some families on Trichardt Crescent had to put up their own streetlights. She said contractors arrived one Saturday morning “… with brand new overalls, brand new trucks and garden implements ready to start digging, and we knew that with no supervision we would soon have problems.”
Bell added that contractors then put poles into the ground, which were not cemented in, and after a couple of days they began slanting.
An engineer and resident, Scott Brebnor said the project did not look promising from the start. “The contractors struck a water pipe and left us without water for a while, in spite of us warning them of the pipes and electricity cables. It was clear that they were not skilled or supervised. A lot of money has been wasted.”
President Park Residents Association chairperson John Gainsford said, “We are disappointed that money was misused and assets not used effectively, and many of the lights have not been switched on since October 2013.”
Asked why the streetlight project was not completed, Ward 110 councillor Stephen Lamola said he was not aware of the reasons, but will investigate the issue.
City of Johannesburg has not responded to Midrand Reporter’s queries regarding the matter.
