City of Johannesburg budget crunch leaves Ward 115 battling poor service delivery
Ward 115 councillor Mark van der Merwe says mounting service-delivery problems across the ward are being worsened by what he describes as severe financial constraints facing the City of Johannesburg.
Ward 115 councillor Mark van der Merwe says residents have experienced major service-delivery problems over the past months, with several infrastructure issues having remained unresolved for months, or even years.
He pointed to Johannesburg Water, Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), and City Power as examples of entities struggling to maintain services. According to Van der Merwe, Johannesburg Water has experienced delays in repairs because of procurement challenges and limited access to tractor-loader-backhoes, while contractors working on projects in Craigavon, Johannesburg North, and Jukskeipark are allegedly owed outstanding payments.
Read more: Ward 115 councillor delivers ward update
Van der Merwe specifically raised concerns about the Craigavon rising main project and pipe replacement projects in Johannesburg North and Jukskeipark, saying contractors and subcontractors had not been paid.
He also raised concerns about City Power’s struggle with vandalism, saying replacing vandalised mini-substations can cost more than R800 000. In one current Ward 115 outage, some residents have reportedly been supplied by a mobile generator, while others have remained without power for about 10 days.
Road maintenance is another concern. Van der Merwe said repairs on Olatina Street have been affected by the closure of the city’s asphalt plant, leaving JRA without tar for pothole repairs. He believes the problem extends beyond Ward 115, saying city entities themselves have expressed frustration over funding limitations.
On July 8, when Executive Mayor Dada Morero was defending the city’s finances, he acknowledged that cash-flow problems had delayed payments to contractors.
Nombuso Shabalala, Johannesburg water spokesperson, said: “Payment delays by Johannesburg Water might lead to further suspension of works, this can lead to further delays.”
Also read: Ward 115 residents frustrated by pothole crisis
City Power Isaac Mangena, general manager department of public relations and communication, added: “The recent power outages experienced in Ward 115, including Jukskei Park, are not due to budget constraints.
“The ward has, however, been affected by repeated incidents of infrastructure vandalism. Last week, two City Power transformers were vandalised in Saffier Street and Platina Street respectively in Jukskei Park.”
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