Stakeholders overseeing Meadowlands Zone 6 project dragging their feet
Community in an uproar over road upgrade.
The dispute over the construction of roads in Meadowlands Zone Six has been an unresolved issue for almost seven years now since residents obtained ownership of the bond houses.
In the previous public meetings initiated by the Ward 42 councillor, Takalani Nefotoni, the problem seemed to be with the developers who are supposed to ensure that the roads are well constructed.
In a meeting that was held on January 14, in concurrence with the meeting that was held at Thobeka Primary School, Nefotoni addressed the community about the delays which are slowing down construction.
One of the developers agreed to construct the road, but the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) had to intervene and stop construction because the contractor was not producing up-to-par work.
According to Nefotoni, the developers are supposed to handle all the matters pertaining to the infrastructure of the area, after a letter outlining these issues was written to the JRA managing director.
“JRA says this is private land and the developers need to be responsible for the construction of roads, stormwater drains and other services.”
Nefotoni said that the developers are playing hide and seek as they do not want to be in the same room together.
A petition was signed last year and there is still no response from the petition committee.
“We need to ensure that the developers construct the road. Once the developers are done, JRA will be contacted to check if the construction was completed to the right standard,” he said.
The community was not impressed with the feedback as this matter has been dragging for a long time while they continue paying their bonds.
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Some residents thought it’s pointless to discuss this matter when all the parties involved were not at the meeting because they were the ones who could chart a way forward.
Some members were dissatisfied with the JRA not being involved in the matter because as much as they were able to supervise the construction of the road and stop it, then they should be responsible for seeing to the construction as well.
The ANCYL chairperson Linda Nxumalo provided a solution which most people agreed with and he was against differentiating the bond owners as private because they also formed part of Ward 42.
He said,“We need to develop a process that is ours. The counsellor should be accompanied by a team of people that will perform certain tasks.”
Nxumalo said that the team will be responsible for the following.
- Go to 47 to get plans and prepare a proper submission.
- Get hold of the institutions that will hold the bank accountable.
- Get hold of the city ombudsman which can hold the city responsible.
- Residents should write submissions to their banks expressing their grievances so that they too can be held accountable
Nxumalo said they should first follow this process before initiating another public meeting.
“We are one community, if the other part of the community faces a particular problem, we need to support them,” said Takalani.
