City of Joburg cares about your problems, mayor assures residents

1. Dear Mr Herman Mashaba.

Why is Ekurhuleni informal settlement (Winnie Mandela, Tembisa) allocated with electricity and toilets, but Ivory Park 3 informal settlement is not. We have been there for more than 23 years. In our section we have too much corruption. – Patrick R Mokumo, Ivory Park

Answer: We face a serious challenge in that Ivory Park 3 informal settlement falls under the Eskom electricity supply grid and, therefore, City Power does not have the authority or infrastructure to provide electricity to this area.

This is a matter we need to raise with Eskom. In terms of sanitation, this community has only basic sanitation facilities in the form of one ventilated improved pit toilet per family/stand.

In terms of water supply, the area has communal stand pipes. However, some of the stand pipes have been vandalised and are leaking.

As a caring and pro-poor government, the City of Joburg remains committed to deliver on the change that we have promised residents and we are determined to ensure that we deliver quality services to all our residents.

v As such, officials from Joburg Water will repair the leakages at stand pipes and will also engage officials from the city’s department of housing to devise a plan which will ensure that the residents of Ivory Park 3 receive improved sanitation facilities.

v We are also committed to rooting out corruption from the City of Joburg and encourage residents, such as Mr Mokumo, to come forward with information they may have so that it can be investigated.

2. Dear Mr Mayor.

I live at 1459 Cosmos Street, Lenasia South. My property is adjacent to the informal settlement named Hospital Hill.

We live under appalling conditions in terms of an overflow sewer that I report on a continuous basis.

The grass across from my house is so long that if someone hides there we would never know.

Not to forget the potholes in the street that pose a risk to motorists.

I also have a scholar taxi that parks across from my house and this is becoming a huge safety risk for my family.

I brought this to the attention of councillor Choonie and he promised to sort this out ASAP.

Not to mention that the unruly so-called adult children that attend a high school near my house continuously ring my intercom and run away.

Please address my concerns.

Regards,

Shabir Choonara

The City of Joburg has engaged Joburg Water, Joburg City Parks and Zoo and the Joburg Roads Agency (JRA), as the issues reported falls under these entities.

Firstly, it must be noted that officials from Joburg Water visited 1459 Cosmos Street, Lenasia South three times between April 12 and 13. On all three occasions, however, officials were not able to locate a resident named Mr Shabir Choonara residing at this address.

The owner of the property located at the abovementioned address is not aware of the query lodged. Officials also did not find any sewerage blockages at the reported property or at any of the other properties on Cosmos Street.

Officials from Joburg City Parks and Zoo also investigated the complaint and found that the parks in the area are maintained as per the monthly schedule. However, it has been noted that maintenance of sidewalks in this area is of concern. I encourage residents with similar problems to refer such matters to the Joburg Roads Agency on
011 298 5000.

Under the new administration, the City of Joburg is in the process of centralising the service of grass cutting and maintenance under one entity, which will ensure that residents receive a one-stop service in this regard.

The reported potholes were also investigated by officials from the JRA, and have been logged for repairs which will be undertaken shortly.

Years of neglect and mismanagement by the previous administration has resulted in many communities not receiving the quality services they deserve.

Under the new administration, we are committed to delivering on the change we have promised. However, it will take time to turn the city around and we urge residents to support us in our
endeavors to keep our city clean.

Residents are encouraged to log their service delivery issues on any of the following platforms:

Report blockages or water leaks to the Joburg Water customer service enquiries 24-hour Hotline on 011-375-5555/0860-562-874; on the SMS line: 082-653-2143; or via e-mail: customer@jwater.co.za to get a reference number.

For all private spaces or spaces that are not zoned parks, please register on 011-375-555 with the Joburg Connect Call Centre.

For road-related queries, please contact the JRA Customer Call Centre on 0860-562-874.

Residents are also urged to provide their reference number to their local ward councillor, who must then follow up on the matter and ensure that it is resolved.

3. When is the mayor going to stop people drinking on the streets of Hillbrow (public drinking)? David Ndovu

As the city’s administrators, we continue to plea with all residents to observe the rule of law. We also continue to do all within our power to enforce law and order within communities.

Whilst the policing of liquor and related activities are the mandate of the Saps and the Gauteng Liquor Board, Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) does inspect and engage with liquor outlets to check for valid liquor licenses so as to assist the Gauteng Liquor Board.

Presently, JMPD, within its mandate, assists the public by attending to liquor related complaints, and where necessary, we hand over suspects to the Saps.

Unfortunately, it has been our experience that, following the handover of suspects to the Saps, few are charged and prosecuted.

We have allocated R31 million for the recruitment of an additional 1 500 Johannesburg JMPD officers to police our streets.

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