Vaalbank is a mere 24km from Vryheid on the way to Hlobane. Residents in this small, almost forgotten town say they are struggling with service delivery woes. Resident and businessman Dan Jogi told the Herald that the grass never gets cut, nor do they change the streetlights. This is of great concern, since criminals have the perfect opportunity to attack the vulnerable or break into homes and businesses under the cover of darkness. In addition, refuse lies in the streets and nobody cleans it up. Jogi says he has contacted the ward councillor several times regarding these issues, but nothing ever gets done. Ward Councillor Masondo responded by saying that he acknowledges the problems in Ward 6. “Service delivery is not happening as it should. The biggest challenge is the loss of power in that area, because it takes long for the municipality to fix it. And when there is no power, then there is also no water. Cable theft is the main culprit for the loss of power. The streetlights have been an issue since January last year; I have reported it and it was referred to the new budget. And when the lights don’t work, crime escalates.” He furthermore indicated that the infrastructure of Vaalbank is very old. The councillor and the complainant confirmed that some of the grass has since been cut.
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