City brings services to residents at Kempton Park Open Day

The City of Ekurhuleni hosted an open service delivery day in Kempton Park on May 14, allowing residents to engage directly with the municipality and access a range of services.

These included indigent registration, account and property valuation queries, bylaws and small business support, debt relief, and water and energy-related concerns.

The event aimed to bring municipal services closer to the people and proved to be a valuable resource for residents seeking assistance and clarity on various issues.

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Makhosazana Dladlambatha, customer care relations manager for Ekurhuleni in Kempton Park, said the event’s purpose was to ensure the local government fulfilled its mandate of serving the people.

“Our clients pay rates and taxes, and in return, we are responsible for services like grass cutting, street lighting, pothole repairs, and general infrastructure maintenance. These services are provided in line with policies approved by our council,” said Dladlambatha.

She explained that the city works closely with ward councillors to implement these policies and address service delivery challenges, especially in industrial areas.

“Industrial zones are where we receive the most complaints, issues like potholes, overgrown grass, non-functioning streetlights, and power outages. These areas are crucial as they contribute to local employment and economic growth,” she said.

Dladlambatha added that the municipality is committed to addressing residents’ concerns, whether they’re individual complaints or broader infrastructure problems.

“For instance, an electricity outage affecting one street could be traced back to a substation fault, and we attend to these challenges accordingly,” she said.

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Regarding the pothole problem across Kempton Park, she assured residents that now that the rainy season has ended, repairs would be prioritised.

“Rain is a natural cause of many of the potholes. The Roads and Stormwater Department has a dedicated programme to fix them, and every ward in Kempton Park, there are eight in total, will receive communication about ongoing work,” she explained.

She also noted that these service delivery open days take place once every three months, with councillors expected to report back to their communities.

Ward 17 councillor Simon Lapping attended the event and weighed in on the concerns raised by residents.

“We engage through WhatsApp groups and hold in-person meetings, but one of the biggest challenges right now is with PRASA and the unsecured railway line running through Kempton Park,” said Lapping.

He noted the lack of fencing or barriers along the railway, which poses a danger to pedestrians.

“This is a constitutional issue. The Constitutional Court has ruled that PRASA is responsible for maintaining and securing its properties,” he said.

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Lapping added that road infrastructure is another critical concern in the ward.

“The roads are deteriorating rapidly. Potholes, broken streetlights, and malfunctioning traffic signals are widespread,” he said.

He added that the Roads Department currently has only two operational repair trucks for the entire Kempton Park area, although ideally, there should be six.

Resident Christie Mann said she was hopeful the city’s efforts would lead to long-term improvements.

“I just can’t wait for this blitz to continue. We’ve already seen some roads repaired. The Energy Department has told me streetlight repairs are underway,” she said.

Mann praised the opportunity for businesses and residents to speak directly with officials.

“It’s good to put names to faces. This is a positive step,” she said.