Rhodesfield residents feel ABANDONED by City of Ekurhuleni

Residents of Rhodesfield Ext 1 have raised serious concerns about ongoing poor service delivery in their area.

From pothole-ridden roads and non-functional streetlights to overgrown grass and crime hotspots, residents feel abandoned by the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE).

The Kempton Express, accompanied by Ward 17 Clr Simon Lapping, recently visited some of the worst-affected areas, speaking to residents and business owners who expressed frustration over years of neglect.

Ashika Pillay has lived in Rhodesfield for 26 years. She said the area has deteriorated dramatically.

“When my husband and I moved here in 1999, Rhodesfield was clean and well-maintained. Now, I feel embarrassed to have family and friends visit; I have to warn them about the area’s condition,” said Pillay.

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She added many potholes date back as far as 2018, but the issue persists.

“The CoE app changed, and all our old call logs disappeared. We lodged complaints about potholes that are now craters, streetlights not working, and grass that became an overgrown bush. Still, no feedback.”

According to Pillay, not only are the roads damaging residents’ vehicles with reports of tyre blowouts and cracked windscreens, but the lack of working streetlights makes the area a crime hotspot.

“We drive in total darkness at night. It is dangerous. My opposite neighbour was shot and hijacked. Another resident was so traumatised by a hijacking that they emigrated to New Zealand. Unfortunately, not all of us have that option.”

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She added overgrown bushes have become havens for criminals.

“Vagrants sleep there and attack domestic workers, rob, and rape them. We pleaded with the railway companies to close off access along the tracks where criminals escape. Nothing was done.”

Pillay has launched a community initiative, Rhodesfield Rising, to help maintain the area.

She formed a project management team of residents and stakeholders, including Dean Brummer, Craig Frampton from Vhumba Tactical Response, her husband Dinesh Pillay, CPF chairperson Gerrie Germishuizen and herself.

“We have no choice; we are ratepayers and taxpayers and feel our human rights are violated.

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“Government has let us down, and when my husband wrote to the mayor, we received no response.”

CPF member Gerrie Germishuizen who has lived in Rhodesfield Ext 1 since 1995, said the area has deteriorated massively.

“I paid R1 450 to fix my tyres. We keep being told the issue was reported, but it feels like even the councillor is being ignored,” he said.

“It seems the CoE does not care about the community.”

Craig Masombo of Vhumba Risk Management said the poor road conditions and lack of lighting pose serious risks for emergency responders.

“The roads are riddled with massive potholes. They delay our ability to respond swiftly to incidents. During rainfall, the potholes appear as puddles. Our vehicles have suffered tyre and windscreen damage, increasing our costs significantly.”

Masombo warned that poor lighting also endangers residents, particularly at night.

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“Criminals take advantage of the darkness. Our personnel must operate under high-risk conditions, which compromises the safety of both residents and security teams.”

He urged local authorities to prioritise urgent action and proposed the following steps:
• Immediate pothole repairs and road maintenance
• Restoration of street lighting for visibility and safety
• Increased collaboration between authorities, security providers, and the community.

Lapping acknowledged the severity of the problem.

“I am fully aware of the potholes – not just in Rhodesfield, but across my ward. Potholes are a scourge in Ekurhuleni,” he said.

He criticised the city’s approach: “In the mayor’s first 100 days in office, he proudly stated they fix five potholes a day across the CoE. That is a shameful attempt to address the issue.”

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Lapping added while he consistently forwards complaints to the relevant departments, the lack of funding and years of neglect have caused a considerable backlog.

“No adjustment budget will ever fix this. The only solution is for voters to make better choices and remove the ‘rotten apples’ responsible for this decay.”

The Kempton Express submitted an enquiry to the CoE on March 20, with a follow-up on April 3, requesting a response by April 7.

At the time of publication, we had still received no response.