Cliff Patterson, PR councillor for Ward 42, said that, on behalf of these residents, the DA will submit another petition, with over 600 signatures, at the October council meeting.
“Petitions are a community’s most direct way of communicating with council and residents from Elspark, Freeway Park, Cruywagen Park, Ramaphosa, Igoli and Graceland are fed up with the poor service delivery they receive,” said Patterson.
He added that sewerage and water services are the biggest complaint from residents and are a direct result of old pipes which should have been upgraded 20 years ago.
“Pipes burst or collapse in these areas regularly and can cause damage to property and the safety of residents, not to mention the massive water losses which Ekurhuleni has to pay for,” he said.
“Crime, such as vehicle theft, house break-ins and damage to property, has risen dramatically because of pitch dark streets, even though the non-functioning street lights are regularly reported by the community.
“Residents are also demanding a higher EMPD presence to stop trucks, cars and motorcycles from speeding down the suburban roads, in an attempt to avoid traffic and tolls on the highways.
“Then we have the issue of contractors who have been working on the Rand Water pipeline and who have clearly not been given the wayleaves, maps of the underground infrastructure, or are simply choosing to ignore the information.
“Residents in Boksburg West are, after all, regularly left without power for hours or even days at a time, all caused by damage to cables which could and should have been avoided.”
Patterson added that residents in these communities are hoping that their voices will be heard and that action will be taken to combat the constant service delivery issues that need to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.
“The metro needs to commit money to upgrade the old infrastructure, and human resources, such as EMPD officers, to start taking action in this much neglected ward,” he said.
“In a well-run municipality, ward councillors actively drive their IDP and council budget allocations to address the most pressing problems in the area.
“Residents deserve better basic services.”
