Ekurhuleni’s grass-cutting woes

This year, the residents of Ekurhuleni have to again contend with unkempt public green spaces across the city growing wild because the municipality is still trying to get its act together.

We are told part of the problem is the grass-cutting machines break down, and there is a long wait to get the spare parts from suppliers.

In early December, the Boksburg Advertiser reported that regarding the cutting of grass and weeds, information received hinted that public green spaces would not receive any attention soon because all of the city’s vehicles, including tractors, had still not been serviced.

Eventually, on Wednesday, the metro confirmed its machines had still not been serviced, and it had not yet appointed contractors to help the city tackle the overgrown public spaces.
When asked why they did not do this during winter in preparation for this challenging period, metro spokesperson Zweli Dlamini blamed the delays on various unforeseen circumstances.

“It is important to note that the planning and servicing schedules were affected by a range of unforeseen challenges, including budgetary constraints and the unavailability of contracts that deal with fleet and the maintenance of small plant equipment.

“While the city intended to complete servicing the equipment during winter to prepare for the more demanding periods, these unexpected issues have caused significant delays.
“The city is actively working to resolve these matters. In the interim, the city is exploring alternative solutions to address grass and weed maintenance.”

Regarding the delayed appointment of the much-needed tender to purchase spare parts, Dlamini said, “The tender is going through the supply chain management (SCM) processes and committees.
“The city anticipates the award to likely be finalised in the first quarter of the new year,” speculated Dlamini.

Complaints
Ward 32 Clr Marius de Vos said he has been inundated with residents complaining about the unkempt public spaces, including verges, parks, road reserves and cemeteries in his ward.

He said in some areas, residents who had waited a long time for the clearing of overgrown grass and weeds from the parks and pavements in the streets outside their homes ended up doing the municipality’s job themselves.

“So far, I have not seen any grass-cutting services by the municipality. I have only seen fed-up community members who have opted to take matters into their own hands. Just recently, I was approached by the residents of Parkrand Village, who had decided to tackle the overgrown park in their area.

“What is clear is that municipal management has again failed ratepayers this year.
“What I do not understand is why the city got into a situation where they are left without equipment to render services.
“They had enough time to plan for this season. Why were their machines not serviced? Why not have parts readily available for the defective equipment before this time of the year?

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“This is a grave dereliction of duty by the bungling management. If the city is serious about service delivery, those responsible for the department must be called to account for getting the city into this mess.”
Among the most affected areas is Jimmy Cawood Park, where the grass and vegetation have been left to grow wild across the park.
The overgrown green spaces around Boksburg Lake and the CBD also raised concerns.

Are you concerned about the grass’ length in public spaces in your neighbourhood? Email pictures to faniem@caxton.co.za
For more about the grass-cutting schedule, call the city’s Call Centre on 0860 54 3000.