“Service delivery doesn’t exist”
Selpark business owner, Jean Anderson (40), says he is fed up with the environmental conditions that he finds his business operating under, and the lack of proper local service delivery.
“It’s like there is no service delivery in Springs,” he exclaims. “I am the one who makes sure that the park outside my shops is clean. If I don’t do it, no one else will”.
The parking area located outside Jean’s store is also of concern to him. It is riddled with sand and litter.
“Look at that,” he exclaims, “you can hardly see that this is a parking area, it’s just dirty!”
Anderson, who has been running his businesses on Oppenheimer Road, Selpark, has been doing so for 20 years.
He says that since he started his businesses, there has been no improvement in the environmental conditions and service delivery.
“This place has looked like this since I started my businesses here – that was 20 years ago,” he says in frustration.
Anderson explains that he has even taken his grievances to the Ekurhuleni Metro, but he has still not seen an improvement.
He says that although municipal workers are sent to the site, they do not do a proper job at cleaning the litter and maintaining the area.
“Trust me, I have reported the matter to the municipality, and they do nothing about it.
They say they send people, but the workers themselves don’t even do their jobs properly,” says Anderson.
“Look, just yesterday (Tuesday), the municipal workers came to clean the refuse, and mow the lawn, but it looks like nothing has been done,” he says.
He also explains how he feels that it is unfair that he should have to pay such high rates and taxes, one of which being for refuse removal, but the services are not being adequately delivered.
Anderson went on to show a copy of his invoice from the municipality, detailing how much he has to pay for services that he feels are not rendered properly.
“Come let me show you my water and lights account,” he says.
“I pay R1 287 for refuse removal, but look outside – it’s still dirty!”
He adds, “Why must I pay for all these services, but I end up having to clean the area myself?”
There are also numerous potholes on the road that Anderson is referring to, some of which have never even been attended to, according to the aggrieved business owner.
“Those potholes have been there for as long as I remember!” he says.
Anderson is concerned by the state of, not only his area, but the state of the country, in so far as service delivery is concerned and lack of ethical leadership to drive proper service delivery.
“I mean, where are we going in this country,” he asks, “if we can’t even get service delivery right now, it certainly won’t change, no matter who is in [political] power.
We will always be facing the same problems.”
We have sent questions to the Ekurhuleni Metro, and are awaiting feedback.
