DA speaks out on state of John Avenue
Mr Themba Gadebe said the municipality has cut down the blue gum tree and a contractor has started with the repair of both the water leak as well as the broken sewer pipe.
The DA in Ekurhuleni has accused the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) of disregarding the constitutional rights of Bedford Park residents.
Following reports by the NEWS on the state of one of the suburb’s main roads, John Avenue, the DA issued a press release in which it demanded answers from the municipality on what the party calls a poor response and disregard of residents’ right to live in a clean, safe and healthy living environment.
“Raw sewage continues to spill from two manholes in this road, bolstered by leaking water from broken supply pipes, which has resulted in a continuous stream of water and raw sewage flowing down John Road since November 2015,” said the DA in a statement.
On February 22, the NEWS reported that engineers from the CoE had been in touch with residents in the area to update them on the progress of the work to be done along the road.
“I met with the contractor on-site where we considered all the options. The water pipe cannot be diverted at the moment due to electricity cables from the substation. The felling of the tree should be complete by Monday [January 31], where-after we will continue with the repair of both the water and sewer pipes. We will attempt to clear the blockage as a temporary measure,” read an email from one of the CoE’s engineers.
“The many phone calls, smses, e-mails and personal representations by the DA, the last being on February 17, 2016 to the Metro pleading for a response, has still not yielded any results. The residents have resorted to the press, voicing their absolute disgust and unhappiness about the treatment meted out to them,” said the party.
Following a query by the NEWS to the CoE, spokesperson Mr Themba Gadebe said the municipality has cut down the blue gum tree and a contractor has started with the repair of both the water leak as well as the broken sewer pipe.
He said the contractors are making progress and should be finished soon.
When the NEWS visited the area on Febraury 24, the sinkhole has since been closed and contractors are working on the water leak further along the same road.
