Editor
Upon reading the local paper (January 23, 2015), it is gladly noted that there are many people with the same old complaints. These complaints have been repeated year after year and it seems like they are far too overwhelming for the municipality to take care of.

The usual storm damages to roads. When is there going to be better construction to our roads, after all, the ratepayers are paying, so the question has to be asked, is the money collected, used for that purpose? It seems like short cuts are better than doing a better job from the beginning.

It would, at the end of the day, save a lot of money and frustration. But that is obviously the norm because it is seen throughout Estcourt, the newly built roads are already crumbling away. Potholes are very evident and when it rains, the most dangerous, because one doesn’t see them and it’s worse at night. A lot of the floods around Estcourt are caused by a poor runoff system.

Also the gutters and drains are blocked with grass, soil, weeds and litter. What clearly needs to happen here is proper supervision, on a daily basis, to ensure the pavements and gutters are swept and all the rubbish bagged.
Rubble, tree branches, etc are gathered on the pavements. It is all well and good to concentrate on revamping the parks, but the filth is right here in town. Who is going to enter Estcourt and look for a “new-look” park when they face a filthy town first?

Prioritise cleaning up the town and educating people to use the bins provided. Now about the bins: – On the corner of Albert and Connor streets, daily rubbish is place alongside and in the bins. Unfortunately the owners of the businesses have a problem on their hands because no sooner they toss out the rubbish, there is a person coming and turning everything out and leaving an unhealthy and messy sight for all walking past to endure.

A suggestion for a solution is difficult because there aren’t regular pickups as there used to be. There was a time when the refuse truck would collect on a day allocated and an expected time. Could the evening cleaning staff sweep up that corner, daily, and bag the rubbish? It will be a tedious job for them, but bottle tops by the 100’s, broken glass bottles and many more items are left lying on the pavement daily.

As for the refuse collection, they come and they don’t come, the truck is broken, when it has been in the street the evening before.  So what is the deal? Weekly, for months now, calls to Umtshezi Municipality to REMIND them to collect are something of a habit now. Well those calls have been a waste of time, so now people, if you need collection, phone the MM’s office, prompt service, it works.

Roland Hellet is a sight for all the residents to dump their refuse and garden refuse. But that rubbish isn’t seen because it is so well hidden amongst the overgrown grass and weeds that is almost as high as the trees. So how can people be told to stop littering if the municipality don’t do their bit in ensuring neat verges and pavements? A plan of action is seriously required to get this town up to scratch. SASSA office: – Human rights, what is the meaning of that? People jammed in there like they are in an abattoir. It’s dark, no ventilation, smelly, etc.

There are people sitting there ALL day long waiting to be attended to. There are the sick, the elderly, the children and the rest of the public, sitting there with no fresh air to breathe.  The fans are inadequate, the few air-conditioners are working overtime that they might as well be switch off. What that office needs is ventilators to draw out the stale, hot air and more cooling systems put in place. Toilets need ventilators as well.

Where is the Health Department in all of this? The healthy people walking in will for sure come out sick, with all the coughing and sneezing inside that building. The staff needs to be cared for as well, no staff, no service. Uthukela: – Your system has fallen apart. All of the sewerage overflows.  That is the most unpleasant sight to see. Let’s not mention the stink. Water pipes that have burst, location has been dug up and left open, water has filled the hole to capacity and it has been forgotten.  Other locations have been dug up, fixed, soil thrown in again and that is the job done, no resurfacing of the tar taken up.

Tar left on the pavement in a heap. Days after water seeping through again. What kind of work was done?  Pavement dug up to accommodate the laying of wiring and pipes by Telkom and Electrical Department. The pavement was a good walking pavement. But the same scenario. It has been damaged but no sign of repair. Ratepayers are paying but the front property must look a mess.

Home Affairs: – Can you please publish a clear direction of how you operate. Going in at 2.30pm to be told that they have to deal with the people that are currently seated before closing at 4pm, and come back another time.  Do all the public have to go and stand there from 5.30am to ensure a foot in the door for a place. What is the cut-off time and how many people do you see daily. What is the need to go and stand there all day, just to reach the door to be told, sorry, end of takings.

How many people are employed by this office, to deal with the population of Umtshezi, which is not only Estcourt town itself? Because on this particular day at 2.30pm, there were only two ladies helping the customers.
Also, please explain to the public, when one needs to collect documents, eg passports, what is the procedure, does one have to follow the queue and get a number again? Our state of the art taxi rank and correctional services. What is happening, will they be completed soon? All this construction in Estcourt, using taxpayers money and no sign of nearing completion. What is the estimated date of completion?  Answers to the public would be appreciated because it is of concern.
Caring for Estcourt