Resident supports local councillor

Editor – After reading the January 14 edition of the paper, I had to reply to the article Councillor takes flack for lack of service delivery.

It seems that people are still unaware that the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) is responsible for service delivery and not the local ward councillor. Urban creep has been noticeable since the new council took office in 1994.

I am a Bezuidenhout Valley resident and have been for more than 10 years. My views on the bad conditions have previously been published in your newspaper.

There are many problems which need to be attended to by council, such as dumping, overcrowding, illegal building and noise levels.

I have brought a number of these problem areas to the attention of Clr Carlos da Rocha, who has at all times attended to them.

They may not have been solved by the relevant authorities but the councillor has always contacted the authority concerned.

What happens then is the CoJ’s responsibility. If the matter was not addressed and I brought it to the attention of Clr Da Rocha, he again sent the department concerned a notification.

Clr Da Rocha is doing a fine job and the person who complained should become a part of the solution and not the problem.

One way to help is by reporting problems to Clr Da Rocha by calling him on his cellular phone, writing on his Facebook page or e-mailing him.

The type of things that people do not report and should report, are water leaks, illegal dumping, illegal immigrants living in overcrowded houses, illegal building and vagrants. All of these the councillor will attend to immediately and has done so on many occasions.

I will always call Clr Da Rocha if any of the aforementioned problems are seen as we need to also assist in being the eyes of the neighbourhood.

I am not saying that problems such as the issuing of liquor licenses to establishments that should not get a licence is the responsibility of the CoJ. These fall under another department. However, the SAPS will not respond to a noise complaint as they say the establishment has a licence to make a noise until 2am on weekends, nor will the CoJ sort out the noise problem.

Yes we have many areas to improve on, but in my time in ward 66, Clr Da Rocha has done a great job and continues to do so. Drive down Rockey Street and see what I mean. It is clean and this is in his ward as well.

James J Heller.