No pothole relief

A court interdict issued against the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) prevents it from awarding road repair and maintenance contracts.

This has resulted in the deterioration of roads across Ekurhuleni.

In Edenvale, motorists have to contend with numerous large potholes as well as crumbling road surfaces.

In one case, a woman reported R36 000 of damage to her vehicle when she hit a pothole off Eighth Avenue.

In addition to not being able to award contracts to repair road surfaces, council also ordered all current contractors to halt the purchase of materials used to fill potholes.

Ward 19 councillor in Edenvale, Clr Bill Rundle, tabled questions for reply at the May council meeting regarding the municipality’s failure to award tenders for the repair and maintenance of roads in the 2013/2014 financial year.

Clr Rundle, who is also the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Shadow Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Roads and Transport, said when the items were tabled before council, Speaker Patricia Khumalo withdrew the questions.

She said the matter was before court and some of the answers could jeopardise the outcome of the case.

“When challenged that there was no provision in the council’s standing orders for her to restrict the answers to the questions, she refused to back down,” said Clr Rundle.

Clr Rundle’s main concern is that the EMM has attempted to hide something by refusing to answer his questions.

“One of the main functions of council and its oversight bodies is to question and interrogate the actions and results of the municipality’s officials in the event of wrongdoing surfacing,” he said.

“The council, its oversight bodies and most importantly residents, are being kept in the dark about this matter. In the meantime, motorists and residents are feeling the brunt of badly maintained roads throughout Ekurhuleni with no relief in sight,” said Clr Rundle.

The NEWS forwarded an enquiry, as well as additional questions, to the brand and communications department of the EMM for comment and reply on June 3.

Comment was requested by June 6 at 9am.