Infrastructure woes continue to plague Alberton North residents and businesses, leaving business owners and residents frustrated and concerned for their safety.

Despite repeated calls for action, the City of Ekurhuleni’s inaction has only exacerbated the problems.

Pavement and infrastructure problems

Melanie du Toit, caretaker of the residential building at 28 Hendrik Potgieter Street, Alberton North, has sounded the alarm on the dire state of the pavement and road infrastructure in the area.

According to Du Toit, the owners of the shops and business owners nearby have reported the problems to the City of Ekurhuleni multiple times over the past two years, but nothing has been done.

On November 8, Du Toit emailed the Ekurhuleni call centre with photos of the affected areas, receiving only an automated response.

Alberton Record followed up on November 13, and the municipality’s response was: “I need clarification on the pavement infrastructure that they are talking about, and again there have been activities from different departments such as water and energy and outside services like contractors installing fibre on the pavements and leaving the pavements not being reinstated,” said Zweli Dlamini, City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson.

One business owner who asked to be anonymous expressed frustration: “I have trucks that come to deliver goods for my business, and they can’t park here because of the pavement. When they park, the pavement sinks.”

Another owner added, “The money we pay for taxes is enough for us to use it to repair this pavement. I mean, the municipality is not doing anything to help us.”

In a surprise move, the municipality visited the site on November 15, but business owners claim they didn’t do much and promised to return and finish repairs. A week later, nothing has been done.

Sewage problem

The building on 28 Hendrik Potgieter Street is also facing a sewage problem. The drain is blocked, and sewage is pushing up, creating a big hole next to the building.

Business owners are concerned that a child might fall into the hole.

According to a business owner, who also wished to remain anonymous, the sewage problem started last weekend. The municipality is aware of the issue but hasn’t done anything to solve it.

“This is not the first time the drain has been blocked; the municipality has previously fixed the issue temporarily. The smell is bad. It’s affecting business. When it rains, the sewage becomes worse and floods all over the place,” said the business owner.

The Alberton Record has sent a query to the owner of the building, where the businesses are situated enquiring about the sewage problem since it stems directly from the property, and to date she has not yet responded for a comment.

Ineffective picketers

The business owners have also told Alberton Record that the picketers working for the municipality sit under a tree and rummage through business bins instead of doing their job.

“When we ask the picketers questions as to why they’re sitting under the tree instead of cleaning the area, they say ‘shut up, we don’t work for you’,” said one of the business owners.

The community is calling on the City of Ekurhuleni to take immediate action to address the following concerns: repair crumbling pavements and roads, ensure proper reinstatement of pavements after maintenance work, and provide a clear plan and timeline for resolving the infrastructure issues.

ALSO READ: Alberton Boulevard: Soon to be history