Maraisburg’s new RA grows
Maraisburg RA held a community meeting to discuss strategies to address the pressing issues in the area.
The Maraisburg Resident Association (RA) has taken a significant step forward in addressing the pressing issues of the community.
In their second community meeting held on September 26, at the bowling grounds, the RA saw growth in numbers compared to the previous meeting. They also elected Christopher Smit as the representative of the association and discussed strategies to deal with issues that are currently plaguing the area.
Fayroza Wadvalla, a resident of Maraisburg for 24 years, says they are planning to register as a non-profit organisation and they will try to get important organisations like AfriForum to work with them.
“We have experienced rapid dilapidation of the area, and we formed this association so that we can stand together as a community and take control of what is ours and not be segregated by anything,” says Wadvalle.
One of the major issues currently plaguing the community is frequent electricity outrages that are caused by illegal connections and outdated infrastructure, as well as the recent tariff hikes that are affecting most of the households in the area because they are run by pensioners.
Smit says crimes such as house robberies have also been an issue, and they request more police visibility.
“Parks in the area have been overtaken by vagrants and some community members are engaging in mischief, making these public spaces unsafe and unusable especially for kids.
“Most of the traffic lights in Maraisburg have not been working since Covid. Potholes, water outages and waste dumping are also some of the issues that we aim to tackle until we can restore our neighbourhood,” says Smit.
The next community meeting will take place on October 19 at the Maraisburg Bowling Club, and Wadvalle urges the community to engage and come forward to join the RA.
