City’s failure to maintain verges indefensible

FED up with the lack of action by the municipality, ward 31 councillor Chris Pappas says he can no longer defend the lack of service delivery by the city with regards to spraying of weeds and painting of verges.

“While we do endeavour to have good working relationships with all departments, I can no longer defend the municipality to the ratepayers. There have been a number of excuses and reasons from the Parks Department but it is no longer acceptable that residents of Musgrave and Overport must accept that they pay rates every month but must live in a deteriorating urban environment,” said Pappas.

He said he had driven through other areas of the city where the verges are maintained and the weeds are cut. Pappas said he understood that the department faced a number of challenges, but that it was unacceptable that some of the issues raised as far back as August last year, had still not been attended to.

“In my role in oversight of municipal functions this department has failed to deliver in this regard. I am receive constant complaints about the verges and the weeds on the roads from residents,” he said.

Pappas said at the end of 2016 all district seven councillors met with the Parks Department for a quarterly meeting and one of the issues that was raised was the problem of verges and weeds. He said Berea councillors were concerned that their wards were being left to turn into a jungle.

“Despite the Berea being an important contributor to the city’s rates base we find ourselves on the receiving end of sub-standard services,” he said.

According to councillors and the Parks department, the problems encountered that hampered service delivery was a shortage of weedkiller, a delay while new stocks are ordered, a shortage of staff to spray weeds and that constant rainy days at the end of 2016 which meant that weed spraying teams could not spray.

“While these are understandable constraints, the issue has been going on for many months and it is time the city takes steps to equip the Parks Department with the necessary resources to deliver. We pay for services that we are not receiving.”

“It is unacceptable that the problem can be left unresolved for so long.”  

“The current ANC administration can find money to blow on night vigils, funerals for wealthy businessmen and millions for events such as the Essence Festival, but yet fail to provide services to the people who pay for these events. The general lack of maintenance and care in our communities will ultimately lead to lower land values. Kerb appeal plays a big factor in the buying and selling of houses,” he said.

In a response a Parks official revealed that the department was experiencing a performance issue with the co-op awarded the area.

“Unfortunately it is not just be a ‘hire and fire’ decision as there are contractural procedures to follow, which we are doing. The department is spraying as a backup but only one day a week. The weed spraying is going to take a while to get back to normal,” he said.

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