Sad state of affairs at Brakpan parks

Brakpan residents are forced to live in a decayed and neglected environment due to the outright failure of the City of Ekurhuleni to maintain essential public spaces.

This is according to Ward 31 Clr Simangele Sabe, who recently undertook an oversight visit to a local park and the Brakpan Parks Department Depot.

During the visit, Sabe and Ward 97 Clr Brandon Pretorius, who is also the DA Ekurhuleni caucus leader, were shocked to find the Lawrence Street community park in Dalpark Ext 9 in a dire state – overgrown with unkempt grass and buried under heaps of litter.

“What should be a recreational park and a place of relaxation has instead become an eyesore and a health hazard to community members,” said Sabe.

“Following the visit to the park, we went to inspect the Brakpan Parks Department Depot, where we witnessed an alarming level of mismanagement.

“Most of the fleet was stationary, with vehicles being non-operational, unroadworthy, and having expired licences. This blatant incompetence is a direct cause of Brakpan’s dilapidated parks and public spaces.”

Sabe stated the MMC for Human Settlements, Clr Kgopelo Hollo, was present during the oversight visit as he also oversees the Brakpan Customer Care Centre.

“We used this opportunity to reiterate the urgent need for repairs, maintenance, and improved productivity in the parks department. This crisis clearly stems from neglect, failure of leadership, and poor resource management,” she said.

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Sabe explained the DA demands the following immediate interventions from the city:
• Clean-up and regular maintenance of all Brakpan parks, including Lawrence Street community park, to restore them to quality standards

• Repairs and licensing of municipal fleet to ensure that parks facilities management team can function effectively.

“The residents of Brakpan deserve better. The DA will not stand by while residents are subjected to declining service delivery,” said Sabe.

“We will continue to hold the ANC-EFF-ASA administration accountable and demand action, not empty promises.”

Another overgrown public space is the Kobus Nel Park, on the corner of Joubert and Thomas streets, in Brenthurst. This park is popular with residents as it boasts outdoor gym equipment and a playground area for children.

The park is normally a hive of activity over weekends, but it too has been neglected and is now plagued by long grass and weeds.

Until recently, the overgrown vegetation concealed the equipment in the park. It is not known whether a good Samaritan or council recently cut the grass surrounding the equipment, which is now accessible. The remainder of the park still requires attention.

CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirmed the city is aware the parks are overgrown, and stated the department is navigating temporary operational constraints.

“While the grass-cutting programme has experienced temporary delays, this has largely been due to limited fleet availability, particularly tractors that are critical for effective large-scale cutting. These tractors are currently undergoing service and repairs,” he said.

“In the meantime, our teams have continued operations using brush-cutting equipment, which, although more time-intensive, has allowed for continued intervention in targeted areas.

“Given the limitations, resources have been strategically channelled to ensure the most urgent and high-use public spaces are addressed first, especially ahead of the Easter weekend.

“We wish to assure residents that a broader park maintenance plan is in place and that grass-cutting across Brakpan will be ramped up immediately after the Easter period, as more of the fleet is brought back online and capacity improves.

“Teams have begun initial work in these areas, and they remain high on our priority list. As part of our planned roll-out, these parks will be attended to fully in the first phase of post-Easter maintenance activities, with the intent to restore them to a usable and safe condition as swiftly as possible.”

With regards to the claims about the depot’s fleet, Dlamini explained the depot currently has 26 vehicles undergoing repairs and servicing at the fleet department.

Of these, seven require licence disc renewals, which are currently pending the issuance of mandatory roadworthiness certification.

“Vehicles can only be submitted for roadworthy testing once repairs are completed and they are deemed safe for inspection,” he said.

“This process is being coordinated in collaboration with the fleet department and will proceed once the necessary instruction has been issued to submit the vehicles for repairs and subsequently testing.

“Presently, only three light delivery vehicles are operational. These vehicles are essential for transporting teams and equipment to various sites.

“The constrained availability of fleet vehicles has impacted service delivery timelines, particularly for larger-scale operations.”

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