LETTER: Leaking water pipe and bad road ‘unacceptable’

• Anonymous writes:

It seems to us that the only way to get the attention of the so-called municipal “services” is through the media because the municipality certainly doesn’t respond to any complaints directed at it by the ratepayers, those people who actually pay the salaries of those charged to take care of Randfontein.

We are given a string of excuses instead of the municipality doing anything! For instance, outside our block of flats, leaking water connections have been regularly reported over a period approaching a year now, and yet they have not been attended to. And the reason given by the municipality is that it doesn’t have any spare water meters! To our way of thinking, there is really no need to replace a water meter to stop a water pipe that is feeding into it from leaking. Surely it’s a fairly simple plumbing job to fix the leaks?

And anyway, if replacement meters are indeed needed why, after all this time, doesn’t the municipality have any meters in stock? Surely they should have got some replacement meters by now? Finally, what is the municipality’s laziness and excuses costing in terms of precious water being lost?

Our next gripe is about the bomb site that was once 12th Street. Starting some months ago, half the entire tar road has now been ripped up to a depth of over three metres, and the half that remains is usually closed to traffic because of construction vehicles blocking it off during the day!

Not only is the area a major cause of thick dust that blankets the properties along the road, but the very deep trench that has been dug is extremely dangerous because much of it has been left as it was when dug up weeks ago!

Yes, the workmen have only very recently put up those yellow plastic barriers but whatever the case, the road continues to remain highly compromised.

The Randfontein Herald has approached Rand West City Local Municipality for comment on the matter and will be published once received — Ed.