For 36 years, Piet Venter has lived in Homelake, appreciating all the things his neighbourhood has to offer.
But just recently, he said, conditions on Freda Avenue alongside the railway line have become appalling, with illegal dumping, unkempt vegetation, crime and blocked sewers.
Venter said it has been a year since he took it upon himself to fill the potholes that have riddled the area’s roads with concrete, and clean up some of the nearby streets, after complaining that the once loved Homelake was slowly going to the dogs. “I got tired of complaining without doing anything. Therefore, I stood up and did something,” Venter said.
Venter said that to date he has spent R1 000 out of his own pocket to help fill the potholes in his area.
“I used a wheelbarrow-full of concrete to fill the potholes,” he said.
However, despite these efforts, Venter said it is difficult to win the war against the other issues, such as the crime and grime, especially if there is no cooperation from the municipality.
Speaking about some of the issues on Freda Avenue, Venter said power cables have been stolen on numerous occasions, leaving him and some of his neighbours in the dark.
“There was one morning when I saw two men climbing down a tree. I tried to alert my security, but those guys were gone within seconds,” Venter said.
Venter also complained that locals are also making the situation worse as they dump anywhere, without any regard for other people’s well-being.
“Some people who used to really love Randfontein have moved to other places, simply because they could no longer bear living under these conditions.
“When you look around, you see sewage water running down the streets, and numerous potholes. We are getting older and we are becoming more vulnerable – this has to stop and something has to be done very soon,” Venter said.
