Residents of Kocksoord have been disgruntled and decrying the lack of service in their area for four long years.
Among their issues are unkempt areas, the lack of road maintenance, high municipal rates and unhealthy conditions. They are saying enough is enough.
When the Herald visited the residents on Monday afternoon, 5 March, tempers were flaring.
They said the neglect is appalling and someone must intervene immediately. They said the state of the roads and the area in general poses a serious threat to many residents, especially children.
Lebogang Short, one of the residents, said, “Our roads are very dangerous. For years, this place has been neglected by the government. But the rates we are paying are exorbitant.
“It is really unfair because you will not see anything like this in Kagiso. But we pay something like R4 000 a month and yet we are living under these conditions. Some parts are overgrown by grass and many road are riddled with potholes and trenches, posing another danger to motorists,” he said.
Short also said the putrid smell of sewage has been hanging over the area for years, but the calls of those living near the sewage works for a permanent solution have been ignored.
“We as the community feel we are being failed by the government. It seems that no official stands up for us. There are many issues in this community. This place has even been turned into a dumping site because the municipality does not care.
Residents said money has been wasted on creating a park in the area, as the quality of the initial work was very poor. “How do you put in facilities like these without maintaining them?” Short said. He said it was becoming a dumping site.
“Whenever we complain, we are always given empty promises. I have been trying to sell my house for three years, but potential buyers have lost interest after seeing the state of the infrastructure in the area,” said a resident who did not want to be named.
Residents vowed that they will escalate this matter if it is not attended to immediately.
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