Continued disrepair of infrastructure and lack of maintenance by the City of Ekurhuleni in Edenvale has left Ward 18 clr Heather Hart at her wit’s end.
According to Hart, the lack of attention by the CoE is resulting in urban decay in Edenvale.
While on a tour, through the town with the NEWS, examples of urban decay identified by Hart included:
• Illegally dumped refuse and a broken toilet.
• Illegal adverts.
• Uneven pavements with weeds growing on them.
• Broken stormwater drains.
• Damaged curbs and roads.
“The CoE either doesn’t care about Edenvale or doesn’t have the resources to look after the town. I hope it still cares about the town.”
Hart explained that urban decay is nothing new to Edenvale.
She said about six years ago the matter became a significant problem for the town.
However, when compared to other towns in the CoE region Hart believes that there is still hope for Edenvale.
“It is soul destroying, departments need to be on top of projects and by-laws need to be enforced,” said a frustrated Hart.
Hart explained that way leaves granted by the municipality to a contractor state that the relevant department must inspect the identified site before and after the project.
“The identified site must be left in the same condition, if not a better condition than when the project started,” elaborated Hart.
Besides the alleged lack of attention given by the municipality, Hart believes there are community members who contribute to the issues.
“People are either too lazy or not informed about the municipal laws,” said Hart.
She encouraged community members to become more informed and to take greater pride in their community.
“We have a fantastic community in Edenvale and often hear of people assisting elderly neighbours or those battling financially, we need more of that spirit.”
Hart advised community members to report any municipal matter to the municipality as soon as they identify them.
“If community members do not come right after escalating the matter they should contact me.”
Hart said another option is that the CoE hosts informative meetings or installs educational signs in areas like the customer care centres.
A request for comment was sent to the CoE at 11am on January 30 requesting comment by January 31 at 12 noon.
