Snakes have Boksburg residents spitting mad over service delivery

The struggle continues for residents of Freedom Park informal settlement (Villa Liza) in Boksburg, with snakes now being seen daily, Boksburg Advertiser reports.

In February last year, the Boksburg Advertiser published an article under the headline ‘Snakes on the slither in Villa Liza’ about long grass in Freedom Park becoming a haven for snakes.

READ MORE: WATCH: Three highly venomous snakes caught in Pretoria

Residents have asked the municipality on numerous occasions to cut the grass, but their complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

In the previous article, Ward 99 councillor Mduduzi Luvalo said he was aware of the situation and had raised the matter with the relevant department.

“The appointed service providers have started work in Windmill Park but were recently stopped by residents who complained that they are the ones who should be employed because it is their area,” Luvalo said at the time.

“I have met with the community and the service provider to try and resolve the matter so that work can continue. As I have indicated, the grass-cutting service provider appointed by the municipality is still in Windmill Park and will move into other areas, including Freedom Park,” Luvalo said.

Fast forward to 2018, and residents are still sitting with the same problem they faced a year ago and with no intervention from the municipality.

Community leaders Themba Nkani and Maxwell Mdlungu point out the state of the grassed area in Freedom Park.

According to community leader Themba Nkani, nothing was done to resolve the long grass issue.

“We are still sitting with the same problem and our lives are in danger,” he said.

Recently, residents killed about eight huge snakes, including black mambas, some of which were attempting to get into people’s homes.

“We really need help because we cannot go on living like this. Our children’s lives are in danger.

“Here in Freedom Park we are just neglected by the municipality – we have no electricity, running water, chemical toilets and our refuse is not collected,”

“At least they have recently started building roads, but the process is too slow.”

He said as a result of the tall grass, crime has increased in the area because criminals hide in the bushes.

This snake, which residents killed, was on its way into one of the houses in Freedom Park.

After the article was published the article last year, the Boksburg SPCA reached out to the community of Freedom Park by raising awareness about how residents should react when they encounter snakes.

Nkani said the meeting they had with the SPCA inspector, Tshepo Mokalapa, was insightful.

“Mokalapa told us about a chemical that we need to buy which apparently helps to chase snakes away, but the problem is that many of the residents in Freedom Park are unemployed, so collecting that money to buy that chemical is a bit of a challenge.”

Luvalo last week told the Advertiser: “The grass-cutting service providers have not yet been to Freedom Park.

“I have reported the matter so many times and have approached different departments to try and act on the problem but the process has been slow.

“Last year, around August or October, we went there with the mayor and cleaned the area.

“Residents voiced their grievances to the mayor. They mentioned the long grass. We are still working on the problem.”

Freedom Park residents urge anyone willing to provide them with the chemical to deter snakes, or who can help in any other way, to contact Nkani on 073 671 0014.

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