Ravi Govender (51), chairman of the complex in Star Road, says he has been trying since the beginning of the year to get the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) to trim the trees so that the branches do not connect with the wires.
“The trees are constantly rubbing against the lines, and if the wiring becomes exposed, it will short circuit,” he says.
“If the voltage is high enough, it will go through the tree, and if someone touches the tree, they may be electrocuted.”
Ravie says residents are very concerned about this, and because he has done contracting work for Eskom before, he knows this may happen at any stage.
“We have a lot of pride in our street and we do not want to see it like this, we also have an open manhole that is very deep and can cause serious harm if a person or animal falls in,” he says.
He adds that when he contacted the metro’s call centre, he was on the phone for more than an hour, getting answers such as ‘I don’t know’ and ‘I’m not sure’, and says they kept putting him through to different people who were unable to help.
“It’s a small issue now and can be easily remedied, but if the problem persists and nothing gets done about it, it will become bigger and more costly,” he says.
Themba Gadebe, spokesman for the metro, says the municipality cuts trees throughout the year across the region.
“Every complaint receives necessary attention and is being attended to in order of priority, as registered through the EMM’s call centre,” he says.
He concludes by saying the complaint in question will be dealt with in due course as there are a lot of trees that grow close to the power line and which EMM officials are attending to daily.
Connect with us:
Have a story? Send Izahn van Huyssteen an email on izahnv@caxton.co.za or contact her on 011 812 4828.
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter as well as our journalists @SpringsJournOne and @SpringsJournTwo.
For news straight to your phone, invite us on BBM – 7EFABEF1.
