Vacant stands still a problem for residents

Residents are still unhappy about three vacant stands which continue to be a breeding ground for criminals and a health hazard for residents of a nearby old age home.

The stands are situated on Gordon Road in Bertrams. A resident has tried on numerous occasions to bring the matter to the attention of the City of Joburg (CoJ), without any resolution.

The stands are situated on number 44, 46 and 48 on Gordon Road. As previously reported in the EXPRESS, one of the vacant stands is directly opposite an old age home, where frail and sickly women are housed.

“The filthy, disgusting things that have been going on here and which have been allowed to continue, without intervention, is nothing short of disgraceful,” said a resident, who wished not to be named.

She said the dumping of rubbish, including mattresses containing bedbugs, continues.

“Once a mattress is dumped, it does not take long before somebody else picks it up to use. Even illicit sex acts have been noted on this property,” said the resident.

She added that the drinking of alcohol and drug-taking are an ongoing activity.

“Police and firemen have been called out to extinguish burning tyres,” said the resident.

She said all she received was a number of reference numbers, but no resolution to the matter. She said she has even completed the ‘Report Illegal Dumping’ section on Pikitup’s website. She said she cannot believe the message she saw on the website.

“It said ‘Pikitup, the City of Johannesburg’s waste management entity, is currently implementing an aggressive transformation and turnaround strategy which involves large-scale improvements in all areas of governance and operations efficiency across its business’,” said the resident. The resident would like to know why the relevant authorities have allowed this to continue for more than 10 years.

A request for comment was sent to the CoJ and Pikitup. At the time of going to print, no comment had been received.