For the entire 2016, we the residents have been living in a pigsty. Our town has slowly deteriorated to such a point that we are no longer perturbed when the refuse isn’t collected for days or the potholes remain unrepaired for months.

I wonder if now that we are approaching the festive season, our local municipality councillors would take up the responsibility of tidying up the town for the influx of visitors.

We too want to be proud of our town when family and friends visit and not want to hide away when we’re driving through the streets.
Here is a list of concerns that I think need urgent attention this December:

1. Pothole repairs in town and residential areas. Some potholes are so large that drivers have to swerve onto the sidewalk or the oncoming lane.
2. Several streets, including those in the residential areas need proper markings. There are some streets where one can’t even spot the speed hump. These need to be clearly marked.
3. Refuse removal in the past week has been erratic. The municipality should endeavour to notify residents when the refuse removal will be delayed as this will prevent dogs from tearing open the bags that are left on the street for days.
4. Areas where illegal dumping is piling up should be cleaned and the culprits located and fined.
5. There are so many water leaks in Estcourt, these should be reported and repaired. We are losing so much of clean water this way.
6. The grass on the sidewalks are long overdue for a trim, please can we get this basic service done? The town looks really untidy at the moment.
I trust that my letter would motivate the local municipality to open their eyes and see what’s going on the ground.

Concerned Resident