POLOKWANE – During the June 18 State Of The City address, mayor Thembi Nkadimeng said the municipality would focus its resources towards the upgrading and fixing of streets throughout the city.

She also said the municipality would make sure that old waterpipes were removed and replaced with new pipes. The repair of streets and waterpipes in the city has been a welcome sight to residents, but with these repairs a new problem has reared its head.

In the streets where the repairs are being done, tar has been left on the pavements for weeks on end in some areas. Where pipes have been replaced, the pipes are left on pavements and the holes dug are never covered.

Mpho Malebatse, a resident, said: “We are trying to keep the environment as clean as possible, looking after our own pavements and taking the time to even plant grass. The municipality even warns residents not to leave building rubble on the pavement, but it seems that they are more than eager to leave their own rubbish on the pavements,” Malebatse said.

Tidimalo Chuene, municipal spokesperson, said it was standard practise for municipal workers to remove all rubble and tar within hours of a job being completed. “This is the rule that contractors are given and the work being done is not certified as being completed, and as such payment will not be made,” she said.

Chuene further said there were areas in the city where the tar had been left because the full scope of work had not been completed and it would be removed when the project was completed. She said that the municipality encouraged residents to report matters like these to them as they were committed to a clean environment. Complaints on the matter can be directed to the municipality at (015) 290 2372 during office hours.

Water meter readings a nightmare