The Boksburg Advertiser has observed widespread overgrowth of grass and vegetation across the city in public green spaces, including road verges, parks, cemeteries and even areas surrounding public offices.

This came after residents raised concerns about safety and accessibility, particularly along roadways, parks and cemeteries.
In light of this, this publication reached out to the City of Ekurhuleni for clarification on its response to the apparent grass-cutting backlog.

The city acknowledged the growing backlog in grass-cutting and public space maintenance across the city, attributing the situation primarily to the festive season shutdown and persistent rainfall.
According to metro spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, maintenance schedules were disrupted over the festive break, with continuous rains further delaying work well into the new year.

When asked what plans are in place to address the problem, Dlamini said a catch-up programme has been introduced and is underway, aimed at addressing areas that require urgent attention.
However, it conceded that progress remains dependent on weather conditions and resource availability.

Despite mounting complaints, the city has not committed to a specific timeframe for clearing the backlog – restoring affected public spaces to an acceptable standard.
“Unfortunately, we are unable to put a timeframe due to other dependencies like the weather and availability of resources,” Dlamini said, while insisting the city remains committed to addressing the grass-cutting backlog as soon as possible.”

Recurrent problem
The grass-cutting backlog remains a recurrent problem for the city.
Over the past couple of years, the city has consistently faced the same grass-cutting problem during the wet season – a situation that has seen some frustrated residents raising questions about the city’s preparedness and capacity to maintain basic public services consistently.

Also Read:Ekurhuleni’s grass-cutting woes

Among the concerned residents is Ward 32 councillor Marius de Vos, who had previously argued that seasonal rains and holiday shutdowns are predictable challenges that should be factored into municipal planning.

Frustrated by ongoing delays in municipal maintenance, a Jansen Park-based business, Bentel Property Consultants, has taken it upon itself to clear overgrown grass in adjacent public green spaces, including road verges and parks. This has become common practice for residents, including this business and other organisations.

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Also Read: Grass-cutting backlog blamed on lockdown