Residents and businesses alike feel confident that they will be breathing a sigh of relief soon after KwaZulu-Natal member of the Executive Council and HOD for Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs, Scelo Duma, conducted a much-needed oversight visit to the long-standing infrastructure issues in Panorama Drive on Thursday, July 2.

The visit allegedly followed repeated calls for help about the recurring sewer spillages, old water pipelines and general deterioration of Panorama Drive over the past couple of years.

Tired of begging for help, Ward 3 committee member Rajendra Jaggernath reached out to MEC for Public Works & Infrastructure Martin Meyer for help, which prompted HOD Duma’s visit.

On behalf of the community, Ward 3 Councillor Connie Harriram thanked the MEC for his visit and for personally engaging with the affected community members.

According to Harriram, the meeting gave residents renewed hope and confidence that the long-standing issues were finally getting the attention they needed.

Residents seek lasting infrastructure solutions

The meeting came after years of deterioration had been left to plague Panorama Drive.

Residents had raised these issues time and time again, believing that all their pleas had been falling on deaf ears.

Despite welcoming the MEC’s visit, residents still feel that the underlying infrastructure issues remain a severe concern.

The continuous water pipeline failures have resulted in the area experiencing extremely prolonged water outages.

Although repairs had been carried out on multiple occasions, the problem continued to persist.

The community believed it was because of the aged infrastructure, which needed to be completely replaced, not merely repaired.

Another issue was persistent and continuous sewage spills in the area.

Residents believed this created extremely unsanitary conditions and health risks, making residents ill as a result.

Community calls for continued oversight

Furthermore, residents also claimed the road itself had been left in a horrible state after all the excavation work, the leaking pipelines, and the inadequate reinstatement of the road’s surface following repairs, thus leaving the road to crumble and to now be completely riddled with potholes and uneven sections that pose potential harm to unwitting motorists travelling along Panorama Drive.

Senior municipal officials have committed to giving the HOD weekly reports, updating him on the repairs being done, and have vowed to have this completed by the end of July.

Jaggernath has also stated that he will ensure that the community is kept up to date, with weekly messages on his social media platforms.

Despite the visit, residents are calling for continuous oversight inspections and for the municipality to implement stronger, long-term solutions to help restore the once pristine neighbourhood.

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