The Alberton Record was recently contacted by a concerned resident who decried the deteriorating state of the suburb.

The Florentia-based resident took the Record to the local park on her street.

“Look at how grown the grass and weeds are. With all the rain we have been experiencing recently, you would think that they would cut it as much as reasonably possible. But they do not,” she said.

The park is nestled on Clark and Grewar Roads in Florentia, Alberton. Fears are that it could be turned into an illegal dumping site, with some litter already scattered and a couch dumped in the park.

“This is not the only issue. My friend was turned away from the Alberton swimming pool. I grew up in this suburb and went to the pool as a child, and now, nobody is allowed to go there. Where are children supposed to play or hang out?” asked the frustrated resident.

This reporter, alongside the resident, went to the pool to find out why members of the public were not being allowed in.

@albertonrecordThe Alberton Record was recently contacted by a concerned resident who decried the deteriorating state of the suburb. The Florentia-based resident took the Record to the local park on her street. Full story on albertonrecord.co.za

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At the entrance of the Alberton swimming pool, there were two employees who were believed to be employed by the City of Ekurhuleni. One sat inside a white VW Polo near the pool entrance, while the other emerged from the pool yard. They told the Alberton Record that members of the public are not allowed inside the pool yard.

From the entrance, this reporter could see what looked like green water, not the usual blue known to be safe for swimming, a clear indication of no maintenance of the water inside the pool. Asked why the pool was not maintained, the employees said they did not have the appropriate chemicals to clean the water. “Ekurhuleni has not sent us pool cleaning chemicals,” one of the employees said.

The Alberton Record was barred by the two employees from entering the pool yard to take photographs. “We received instructions not to allow anybody in,” said an Ekurhuleni employee at Alberton swimming pool.

Residents have the power to elect ward councillors

There are potholes on many of the roads in Alberton and faulty traffic lights. Alberton’s service delivery issues persist, despite looming local government elections (LGE).

The Independent Electoral Commission has declared that it is ready to hold the LGE this year. However, President Cyril Ramaphosa has yet to promulgate the election date. Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) puts the population of SA at 63.1 million; of those, 27.6 million are registered voters according to the IEC. The LGE gives Alberton residents the power to elect their local ward councillor and the mayor.

Ward councillors chair ward committees as part of the Ward Participatory System that brings participation down to the community level.

Ward councillors play a central role in the communication process between the communities they represent and the Council, reporting back regularly through ward meetings and assisting the community in identifying needs and priority areas, such as service delivery.

The Alberton Record has sought comment from Ekurhuleni with regard to issues at the Alberton swimming pool, uncut grass and weeds at the park on Clark and Grewar Roads in Florentia, and the many potholes on roads across the suburb, and we will update with the city’s comment once received.