Councillor slams state of city after return
Ward 86 councillor Chantelle Fourie Shawe speaks on her return after four months of being away.
Since her return after a four-month absence, Ward 86 councillor Chantelle Fourie Shawe, expressed deep concerns on the deteriorating state of service delivery in Johannesburg.
In a candid assessment, she highlighted the role that ward councillors play in ensuring city officials fulfill their responsibilities, stating that without their persistent efforts, the situation could be worse. “Being away has shown me that if a councillor is not attempting to do the job of ensuring service delivery every day, things start to fall apart.”
She placed importance on the dysfunctionality of the city’s management, noting that it often relies on councillors to hold officials accountable, despite this being outside their official mandate.
Shawe painted a picture of the current state of her ward, indicating that many issues remain unresolved. “When I came back, it was almost like I never left. Sadly, the same problems persist.” She referred to the ongoing challenges with potholes and other infrastructure failures.
Her priority list, since returning, includes addressing general cleaning, maintaining public facilities, and tackling significant sewage problems in Greymont and Newlands. She expressed particular concern over the ongoing water issues in Sophiatown, which remains a top priority. “We have a lot of sewage issues that I am currently worried about.”
Additionally, she has been closely monitoring contracts related to infrastructure projects, including the Greymont Bridge, which still needs repairs, and is currently lacking allocated funding. She wishes she could coin it as a unique situation that could be easily remedied, but the complexities of the decaying city are overwhelming.
She underscored the urgent need for action, stating that the decay and neglect of the city have reached alarming levels. “It is going to be a lot of work pulling it all back together and getting it working again.”
Her mission going forward is clear: Stay on the ground, escalate the issues, and keep the pressure on.
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