BIRCH Acres residents felt “undermined” by the metro after the executive mayor failed to show up for a public meeting on Friday evening to address their service delivery complaints.
Clr Mzwandile Masina could not attend the meeting in a public park due to “an emergency he had to attend to”. The meeting started off ‘heated’ as residents were also upset that proceedings began over an hour late.
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However, it was the first time in three years the metro communicated any solid plans to provide the community with basic services.
Officials from the metro, including the MMC for human settlement, Clr Lesiba Mpya, met with the unhappy residents to give feedback following a petition submitted to them by the community in June following protest action, the third in three years.
A timeline for the construction of a school, clinic and library was provided to the residents.
In the meantime, a mobile clinic and library have been provided.
In 2014 residents were up in arms over the lack of basic services, including a school, clinic and library. In September last year, protests flared up again, during which a memorandum was handed to the Ekurhuleni mayoral office. Then, on June 22, residents gathered again near Birch Acres Mall during which a petition was handed in.
Residents said they were tired of being taken for granted as they still had no clinic, no school, no police station and no library or community hall.
“We do not even know if we belong to Kempton Park or Norkem Park SAPS. When you go to one police station, you are told you belong to the other one,” residents complained.
It is the same issue with clinics. Residents say when they go to the Norkem Park clinic, they are turned away and told they should go to eSangweni in Tembisa.
“Women have to wake up very early to go to the Norkem clinic. Even if they arrive at 6am, they are only served at noon. Winter time is worse because it is freezing cold and some women even walk there because they can’t always afford transport money,” one community member said during the feedback meeting on Friday night.
The officials made a number of promises, including the building of a long-awaited clinic, school, police station and library. They also gave timelines for these.
“The building of a clinic has been a priority since 2014 and the mayor has instructed that this should be done. There will be a budget adjustment meeting in September during which the timeline for the construction will be finalised,” Mpya announced.
This financial year sees no budget allocated for the building of a library as the process is still at the feasibility stage. Once this has been completed, a budget will be included in the 2018/2019 financial year. The building of a school will commence this year and the chief director of education in Ekurhuleni assured the community the facility would be up and running by 2018.
The site allocated for the school is between Mopanie Street, Tamboekie Avenue and Munii Street. According to the official, contractors have already been appointed and the site will be fenced off from August 30.
“We are certain as a department that by March next year the school will be ready,” the director assured attendees.
With regards to the police station, cluster commander of Ekurhuleni North, Major General Vincent Leshabane, said police were still waiting for the metro to provide them with land before a station could be erected.
In the meantime, the metro would provide a mobile clinic and library. From July 12, the clinic will be open on Wednesdays from 9am-3pm.
The library will be open from July 11 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon until 3pm.
Although grateful for the interim services, residents raised concerns that a clinic open once a week would just not be enough to service the whole of Birch Acres. The same was said about the library.
“Our children are at school between 8am and 2pm. Parents are at work from 8am to 4pm. These times clash with school and working hours. When and how will we get our children to the library?” one resident asked.
Mpya commented that the opening times of the clinic and library can be debated if residents are not satisfied with the current ones.
