Hebron residents furious about absence of service delivery
Hebron residents of Ward 39 in Tshwane are taking their concerns to the streets after being left without water, streets, electricity and sanitation – all which Tshwane metro has promised them, but not delivered. The residents received permission from Tshwane metro to march to the Union Buildings on Wednesday, 11 February 2015 to hand over …
Hebron residents of Ward 39 in Tshwane are taking their concerns to the streets after being left without water, streets, electricity and sanitation – all which Tshwane metro has promised them, but not delivered.
The residents received permission from Tshwane metro to march to the Union Buildings on Wednesday, 11 February 2015 to hand over a memorandum of service delivery grievances to the presidency.
Moses Maseko, spokesperson for the group, said: “We have had enough of promises from the metro that came to nothing. We want to bring these grievances to the attention of the president.”
Alderman Gert Pretorius, leader of the DA caucus in the Tshwane metro, said he was quite aware of the problems experienced by the residents of this area and can understand their frustration. Pretorius submitted a petition to council during November 2013 on behalf of these residents requesting basic services for that area.
He recently submitted questions to the mayor in this regard during the February 2015 council meeting and is awaiting his response.
In December 2013 the Tshwane council, in reaction to a petition submitted by Hebron residents, approved the following recommendations from the Section 79 Petitions Committee: “That the strategic executive director (SED): Housing and Human Settlements (HHS) co-ordinate a joint meeting with the petitioners, the tribal authority, officials of service infrastructure department, the ward councillor and officials of the office of the Speaker to discuss the way forward in providing the essential services requested by the community.”
The petitioners, headed by Moses Maseko, were never invited to the subsequent proposed joint meetings or any other meetings. Maseko said neither he nor the community ever received any feedback on the issue and council also never received any progress report on this issue.
In July 2014 a notice distributed among the residents of that area stated: “The city is negotiating with the land owners to resolve the matter and to establish a township in the area.”
According to Maseko petitioners were again excluded from these negotiations, as promised by council. He said the petitioners doubt that any negotiations with the tribal authority had taken place.
“It is obvious that the Tshwane council cannot practice what they are preaching and I am sure that there is a lack of political will to assist residents who are challenging the system. By excluding the residents from vital negotiations is calling for protests,” Pretorius said.
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