Mogale City Local Municipality has responded to service delivery issues raised by upper Rangeview residents following a community clean-up drive held on September 5.

Residents expressed concerns regarding illegal dumping, cable theft, damaged infrastructure, and overgrown vegetation affecting visibility and access near the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden.

The municipality confirmed it is aware of illegal dumping in the area.

According to Mogale City Local Municipality senior communications practitioner Tendani Shavani, the municipality provides weekly waste collection to all residents in the area every Tuesday; however, illegal dumping remains an uncontrollable phenomenon plaguing the city.

• Read the initial article here: Upper Rangeview residents tackle infrastructure neglect and crime in community clean-up

Regarding cable theft, the Department of Public Safety has received no complaints from Rangeview residents, and no arrests or case investigations have been initiated. However, officials insist measures will be put in place.

Shavani confirmed the municipality is also aware that invasive alien vegetation is a broader environmental management challenge across the municipal area, including concerns raised about visibility and access in certain locations. The municipality’s biodiversity management team is working with the South African National Biodiversity Institute on measures to address invasive alien species.

“Furthermore, the management of invasive vegetation is an ongoing programme and cannot be resolved through a once-off intervention. The pace of implementation is influenced by the extent of infestation, available operational resources, land ownership, environmental requirements and the need to prioritise areas presenting the greatest public safety or environmental risk,” Shavani said.

Shavani emphasised that the specific affected sections in upper Rangeview will be subjected to an operational assessment so that the required intervention, responsibility, and priority can be confirmed.