Report contraventions, service delivery concerns

Clr Carlos da Rocha, of ward 66, urges all residents to report bylaw contraventions and council-related problems.

Speaking about Kensington, following complaints from residents about the lack of service delivery recently, Clr Da Rocha said most residents are working hard to make sure the suburb looks decent b“People should report incidents when they happen. They should report dumping, potholes, burst water pipes and all other problems encountered,” said Clr Da Rocha.

Kensington is shared by Clr Da Rocha and Clr Alison van der Molen from ward 118. Clr Da Rocha covers the area from Ocean Street and Highland Road towards Johannesburg.

“Regarding my side of Kensington, I must say there is no deterioration. There may be issues here or there but not deterioration. I can quite comfortably say we are getting there. The suburb is cleaner, service delivery is quite visible and feedback from residents is positive. Kensington is not as bad as other parts of my ward. Ultimately, residents need to be part of the solution by reporting problems,” he said.

Clr Da Rocha said he spends a lot of time driving around Kensington taking note of problems that need to be dealt with.

“Every now and then I have a walkabout with my urban inspectors and we take note of all problems. We compile a report to have these problems dealt with. These walkabouts are called for by me when I see any deterioration in service delivery. I keep a close eye on my ward,” he said.

He said the walkabouts and reporting of problems is showing results.

“Service delivery in my ward is like it has never been before. I get issues dealt with practically 24 hours after reporting it. For instance, street lights get dealt with the day after reporting, provided it is not a serious problem like stolen cables. Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo attends to my complaints within days of my reporting. Joburg Water fixes burst pipes and blocked drains within 24 hours. Pikitup seems to be making a huge effort.

“City Power resolves issues quickly, unless its major repairs where they have to replace a substation. Even the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) seems to be improving,” said Clr Da Rocha.

He said there may be instances where he misses something and urges residents to contact him and give him a chance to address it.

He said there are certain departments which do not address problems but he is committed to ensure problems are attended to.