Councillor gathers departments for clean up
The three departments that attended the operation were Joburg Water, Pikitup and urban management as they organised the operation with Clr Da Rocha.
A recent walkabout by ward 66’s councillor resulted in a clean-up operation in Troyeville.
Worsening conditions, during and after the festive season, led to Clr Carlos da Rocha conducting a walkabout in the ward’s five areas.
These areas included Troyeville, Bertrams, Bezuidenhout Valley, Kensington and Observatory.
The EXPRESS also visited some of these areas and noticed overgrown grass stretching into streets, overgrown trees and weeds in Troyeville.
“When I notice that a specific area needs urgent intervention, together with my urban inspectors, we will do a street-by-street walkabout and note all the service delivery issues that need urgent attention. We then identify which departments are failing and we arrange for those departments to meet us at an assembly point in the area. From there, urban management coordinates operations of repairs and other services which are needed,” said Clr Da Rocha.
“The recent walkabout identified the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and City Parks as the ‘main offenders’, as Troyeville was filled with overgrown grass and weeds. Very little was wrong with regards to City Power, Pikitup, Joburg Water and the Metro Police,” said Clr Da Rocha.
The three departments that attended the operation were Joburg Water, Pikitup and urban management as they organised the operation with Clr Da Rocha.
City Parks contractors were already on-site, cutting the grass when Clr Da Rocha arrived.
Mr Philemon Mkari, of Pikitup, was also on-site, as well as Pikitup trucks and teams to clean up Troyeville.
Clr Da Rocha expressed his disappointment at the JRA for not attending the operation.
“Most of the problems encountered in any ward, including ward 66, fall directly on the roads agency, yet they did not attend the operation,” said Clr Da Rocha.
“It is important to highlight that Pikitup seems to be working towards good and fair service delivery,” he said.
The spokesperson for JRA, Ms Bertha Peters-Scheepers, said JRA employees, who are members of the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU), embarked on a strike on February 27 due to a dispute.
“During the strike, the JRA’s contingency plans sought to minimise the impact of the strike on the JRA’s day-to-day operations on the roads and related infrastructure services. We deployed non-striking staff as well as contractors. Acts of intimidation against non-striking members and tampering with traffic signals, which the union categorically denied, were experienced. This naturally impacted on the entity’s ability to provide a service to the community within the stipulated turn-around times,” said Ms Peters-Scheepers.
She said an interim interdict was secured at the Labour Court on April 8, declaring the strike unprotected, and employees have since returned to work.
“Our efforts will now be concentrated on resolving service backlogs across the city. The Troyeville operation, which took place on April 1, was during the strike period and regrettably, the JRA was unable to participate in the clean-up. We do however, remain committed to providing quality roads that are safe, secure and accessible to the community. We will engage Clr Da Rocha on areas that require urgent attention,” said Ms Peters-Scheepers.
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