POLOKWANE – Several residents complained that municipal services seemed to be backed up after the festive season.
Residents said parks, open pieces of veld and sidewalks were overgrown and some traffic signs were vandalised or fell over due to the recent rainfall.
Industrial waste bins were not emptied and were overflowing, residents added.
In some cases, burst pipes and potholes were not repaired.
Chairpersons of local community policing forums, who did not wish to be identified, said they had urged the municipality to cut any tall grass in their areas to ensure that criminals could not hide in the tall grass.
According to residents’ complaints, motorists had to drive through deep muddy water and avoid huge gaping potholes due to a burst water pipe on the corner of Hans van Rensburg and Jorissen Street. Review investigated last week and found the problem unsolved even though the municipality did try to resolve the problem twice in December.
Fosfaat Street was one of the streets where industrial waste bins had not been emptied since the middle of the December holidays.
People who work in this area complained about the large number of flies and midges around the bins.
Business owner, Barend Jonker, said he had received complaints from several of his customers about the bad smell coming from an overflowing municipal waste bin across the road from his business in Fosfaat Street.
“A woman who was selling food from here has not been able to do any business because of the bad smell and the flies. There is also no one available when you phone the municipality and we can’t report the problems,” Jonker said.
Municipal spokesperson, Tidimalo Chuene, said the municipality would address complaints as soon as possible. She said there had been a shortage of staff over the holidays, but all municipal employees would be back on duty this week.
“Report problems to the municipality at (015) 290 2000 in order to ensure that their specific problem is added to the list of problems that will receive attention first. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and ask that residents exercise patience,” she said.
