Ward 126 councillor Mike Tonkin met with officials from Joburg City Parks to discuss what he called poor service delivery in his ward.
“It is disturbing to see non-delivery like this and when there is some sort of delivery, you find a shabby job done,” Tonkin said, referring to the unsatisfactory job done at Excel Park in Weltevreden Park.
“They didn’t cut all the grass in the park. In fact, they didn’t even clean up the grass they had cut. It was just left it in the park.”
Stakeholder liaison manager for City Parks Molefe Seale, conceded that the job was not done properly.
“We will investigate to establish whether this was outsourced or whether it was done by our people. It will surely be rectified,” Seale committed.
Tonkin also took the time to drive around with the officials in some Ward 126 suburbs to point out problems.
The councillor complained that his ward looks neglected – and that it was all because City Parks failed to play their part. Furthermore, he said, City Parks’ neglect gave rise to other issues.
“The overgrown grass increase crime levels because criminals hide there, whether it’s in the greenbelts or the parks.”
Traffic flow was another concern Tonkin stated. “At busy intersections motorists’ views are blocked because trees are neither pruned nor felled.”
He also raised allegations that the last time the grass and trees were cut by the entity, in his ward, it was three months ago. Therefore, he has demanded that City Parks send him their conservation maintenance schedule, so he could check up on the work being done.
Seale agreed the maintenance schedule would be sent to the councillor but cautioned that it will not always be possible to adhere to the schedule as planned.
“Some of the work we do depends on weather conditions. If it’s raining we will have to postpone our service till the rain clears,” Seale warned.
