Looking forward to the year ahead in Ward 102

Ward 102 councillor David Potter has welcomed the new year with an update on the service delivery successes over the last year and challenges for the year ahead.

Potter said, “2018 was both a challenging and fulfilling year, within the ward and personally. Whilst many challenges still exist in the turning around of the City, there were many successes which need to be acknowledged.”

Some of the examples of successes within the ward include:

• Resurfacing of many main arterial roads including Jan Smuts Avenue, Bram Fischer Drive, Republic Road, Curzon Road, Malibongwe Drive and others
• Multiple traffic signal intersections re-cabled with the Executive Mayor’s ‘no join policy’, to include Bram Fischer Drive/North Road, William Nicol Drive/Grosvenor Road and many more
• A better queue management at the Randburg Drivers Licence Office since the national launch of an online booking system
• The launch of the Region B Ward Councillor Office within the Randburg Civic Centre
• Faster response time to escalated street light faults
• An amazing suburb park upgrade paid for by a residents association in partnership with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo
• The upgrade and re-launch of the Brightwater Commons, now Ferndale on Republic
• The start of upgrades to the Randburg Civic Centre, including the installation of a roof structure to limit roof leaks and subsequent damages
• Increased responsiveness of Metro police to matters raised, including illegal advertising
• Progress made with the signal timing upgrade of Jan Smuts/Buckingham avenues in Craighall Park
• Paving of the area outside the Randburg Formal Traders Market at Jan Smuts Avenue corner Bram Fischer Drive
• Increased police visibility at William Nicol Drive corner Republic Road
• Installation of privately funded fencing in Bordeaux and Bryanston
• Quick response to the repair of potholes, noting though that repairs to potholes are not effective on roads that are past their useful life
• Regular speed enforcement along Main Road, Bryanston.

Some of the ward’s challenges that Potter suggests continuing to be raised with the City Executive for service delivery improvement implementation include:

• Lack of progress with regards to the Conrad Drive bridge widening
• Lack of progress at the Joshco Selkirk Social Housing Development
• The state of the vacant land next to the Randburg Taxi Rank (earmarked for the expansion of the Randburg Taxi Rank and the Joshco Selkirk Housing Development)
• The deterioration of the Randburg Civic Centre, although some effort is being made to maintain the basics
• The collapse of the Randburg Central Improvement District (a private entity), which has resulted in the supportive cleaning and security services being withdrawn from the Randburg CBD
• The lack of fire trucks, which the City has committed to resolving, and has recently issued a Red Fleet Tender
• Ongoing delays in the weekly 240-litre bin collection in certain parts of the ward
• Unavailability of replacement 240-litre bins
• Concerns with regards to certain town planning and land use matters
• Continuous water pipe bursts, due to ageing infrastructure
• Ongoing electricity outages due to the ageing and very frail electricity network
• Theft of cables and network infrastructure parts
• Post load shedding damage to cables, transformers etc.
• The massive infrastructure replacement backlog which will take many lifetimes to achieve.

Potter added, “Keeping Ward 102 ticking is not easy and takes energy and input of many people, seven days a week and 24 hours a day.

“Thanks first needs to go to the many City officials from departments and entities who deliver services to the hundreds of streets and tens of thousands of properties stretching over 16 square kilometres, on a daily basis.

“To the ward inspector, Sibusiso who logs issues, assists coordinate visible service delivery days and attends meetings on my behalf with City officials, to the ward committee who meet monthly to debate matters of importance in the Ward, to the political branch who actively ensure our residents issues are heard both locally and nationally, to the SAPS members, to the residents, residents associations, street committees, thank you. Without you all, Ward 102 would not be as well-kept and cared for.”

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