THE executive mayor’s recent visit to Kempton Park central business district during the Mayoral Siyaqhuba Programme was nothing more than PR, electioneering and a campaigning exercise.
After this visit, and after projects launched in the area the past five years, nothing has changed.
This is according to ward councillor Jaco Terblanche.
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“The residents of Ward 16 need services from the metro, not campaigns, not projects – but actual services. None of the campaigns in the past have provided consistent service delivery,” Terblanche said in a statement issued on Thursday last week.
He said the mayor and his cronies had deceived the people long enough. “Clr Mzwandile Masina is more interested in fame and popularity than serving the very people that elected him into power,” Terblanche stated.
“Budgets keep getting set aside for these projects and campaigns, years keep on passing but the state of Kempton Park keeps deteriorating.
“While certain stands and buildings are a major health and safety hazard and not fit for habitation, zero court and demolishing orders have been received to stop the inner slumping of the area.
“Back in 2011, the then executive mayor, Clr Mondli Gungubele, had a similar mayoral campaign, Clean City, which was set to clean Kempton Park for the promotion of the Aerotropolis Project. In 2014, the then newly formed department of urban management also had a clean-up campaign: the Better Building Control campaign.
“The challenge is that the metro has not allocated sufficient resources for demolishing orders because even when a demolishing order is received, there is never any budget to execute it,” according to him.
“During the Mayoral Siyaqhuba Programme visit to Kempton Park, Clr Masina indicated he would be in ward 16 on February 16 and 21 to address service delivery challenges. Although he was not present on both days, he sent the MMC for Finance and Economic Development, Clr Doctor Xhakaza, and the MMC for Infrastructure Services, Ald Robert Mashego, to represent him.
“Clr Xhakaza and Ald Mashego were joined by officials from various departments, including water and sanitation, finance and economic development, city planning, environmental health and community safety. The officials walked the streets of Kempton Park with a specific focus on Kempton Road, Maxwell Street, Gottfried Avenue and Kerk Street. These streets have the most bylaw contraventions in Kempton Park.
“The delegation made the following observations and discoveries: illegal occupation of buildings, illegal business activities, illegal dumping and electricity connections, drugs, brothels and human trafficking – all contraventions of the law,” Terblanche added.
“Drugs were also found near a community créche. This is very alarming as this poses a huge safety and health risk for the young children attending the créche. The location of the créche is also not an appropriate one, because the facility finds itself operating amidst unlawful activity.”
