Memories of a time gone by…
"Unfortunately, no infrastructure development has taken place to cater to the changes"
Shayne Welman writes:
As I reflect on the past, memories of growing up in Three Rivers Vereeniging flood my mind. There was a sense of pride attached to living on Golf Road, Sugarbush Drive or Brandmuller Drive. These were the addresses that people aspired to own or live in one day. But now, the once-cherished addresses are a far cry from what they once were. These streets have been tarnished by neglect and decay.
Golf Road, for instance, once a symbol of beauty, now resembles a warzone with its battered roads, numerous potholes, and multiple safety hazards. The once-beautiful trees now stand neglected and overgrown, their beauty faded. The top part of the road is a chaotic blend of Time Square’s signs and billboards and the Las Vegas Strip’s competing businesses. Unfortunately, no infrastructure development has taken place to cater to these changes.
Sugarbush Drive, once a place of peace and prosperity, is now a mixture of illegal businesses and strange property developments, creating an environment that is anything but desirable. Similarly, Brandmuller Drive has been impacted by a quasi squatter camp along the majestic Vaal River that now straddles the beautiful houses, forever defacing the beauty of the area.
Even the once very usable Vosloo Park, where families once spent their weekends braaiing, fishing, or playing games in peace and quiet, now stands as an overgrown drug den. The park has become a place of danger, where the risk of catching an STD is higher than the chance of catching a fish.
All of this has happened under the corrupt and incompetent ANC cabal running the municipality, and the opposition’s efforts to effect change which the community so desperately needs have been on the whole unsuccessful. The community longs for a time when the pride and beauty of their neighborhoods are restored, and the memories of a time gone by are relived once more.
