A LACK of response from the municipality regarding a variety of issues has disappointed residents in Isaac Nathaniel Crescent, North Beach.
Rookaya Vawda said she had been emailing the municipality for months asking for complaints to be addressed.
“We have complained about the park and crescent not being cleaned properly, overhanging branches, drug problem, cars parked in the same spot for weeks, but these issues continue to persist. Recently we didn’t have street lights and it took almost two weeks for the lights to be sorted out. Our emails get sent from person to person and nothing gets done,” she said.
Vawda said vagrants, prostitutes and drug dealers operate at the park in the road, and overhanging branches still haven’t been cut back.
“We had an incident a few years ago where a branch fell on a passerby. The fruit from these trees fall onto the pavement and onto cars, creating a mess and also attracting fruit flies. On two occasions municipal trucks arrived early in the morning to cut trees and left because of the cars parked in the street. The buildings should be notified the day before so people can be asked to move their cars,” she said.
Vawda’s husband, Mahmood, said vagrants who slept in the park carried garbage bags onto the road and after going through them, left the garbage lying around which was then blown about by the wind.
“Other people then start dumping their rubbish there too,” he said.
He said a vehicle had been parked in the road for a month, and after complaining, he noticed the vehicle had been moved and parked over the road, where it had stood for more than a week.
“Rain water collected in the back and is now a breeding ground for mosquitoes,” he said.
In response to queries by Berea Mail, eThekwini Municipality’s spokesperson, Thulani Mbatha, said: “Many of the trees which overhang the road are indigenous Ficus lutea. These trees have a natural spreading form and provide shade on pavements and road areas which is desirable. Although overhanging, they are not obstructing vehicular or pedestrian traffic. The City will monitor the trees and prune back in the event this becomes necessary. All the surrounding verges are hard surfaces and no cutting is required.”
Regarding dumping, he said Nathaniel Isaacs Crescent is maintained daily and the problem was caused by cardboard collectors who left a mess in the area.
“An official from the relevant Unit has inspected the area and found it to be clean. No evidence of illegal dumping was found. We will continue to monitor the area. In our effort to maintain a clean and sustainable City, we urge residents to continue reporting illegal dumping to 031 311 8804 and be responsible by taking care of the environment and not littering,” he said.
