Infrastructure fiasco in Menlo Park
A host of important infrastructure maintenance and upgrade projects are just not being addressed.
Stephané Bothma
Crucial infrastructure in the Menlo Park area is not being maintained or upgraded, resulting in broken sewage pipes, leaking and bursting water pipes and non-functioning streetlights becoming the order of the day.
At the same time, service delivery had in some cases also been placed on the back-burner with rubbish dumps causing stench and disease and the leases of clubs and sporting facilities not being renewed.
A raw sewage pipe damaged months ago is still leaking faeces into the Eastford bird sanctuary after an attempt by the Tshwane metro to repair the pipe, was unsuccessful.
According to Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor for the Menlo Park area, Siobhan Muller, a host of problems – some reported years ago – had not yet been dealt with by the municipality.
These continual problems remaining unsolved included:
– The water pipes in Maroelana/Alphen Park/Ashlea Gardens (the whole network) have been on the integrated development plan (IDP) for more than three years for replacement. To date, some 4.1km has been replaced but it was not clear exactly where.
Continual pipes bursting and wasting huge amounts of water are repaired piece by piece. As they repair the pipe it bursts a meter away. Streets affected are, among others Matroosberg, Koelman, General Kock, Cecilia corner Maroelana Street, Maroelana Street, Pinaster Street and Sunrise Street.
“The list goes on and on and petitions have been served in council and at the committee residents were promised it will be addressed in the next budget. This does not happen,” Muller said.
– Petitions for traffic circles for safety reasons at the corner of Selati and Cecilia streets in Ashlea Gardens/Alphen Park (to assist traffic from the Nuwe Hoop School and pupils to leave the school safely) and another on the corner of The Hillside/Rodericks Road/The Village had been submitted and were on the waiting list with promises of being addressed in the next financial year. “Seeing is believing,” she said.
– The Menlo Park garden refuse site in 26th Street Menlo Park remained a huge problem with high mounds of rubbish not being cleared despite petitions to council. “The area is infested with rats, snakes and flies,” Muller said.
– A trench dug on the corner of Rodericks and Lover’s Walk for a new substation in October 2015 remained uncompleted, although being reported on numerous occasions.
– The leases for clubs and sporting facilities on 26th and Umgazi roads, Menlo Park, have not been renewed. Neither have prepaid meters been installed as promised. A petition went to council and it was resolved the City manager should look into the leases. There had been no movement on this. In fact two clubs, the Scouts and the Victoria Cross lodge, have been pushed out.
– Broken streetlights in The Hillside and Acorn roads, Lynnwood, had been reported over and over in the last 18 months. “When the lights are finally repaired they work for a few days and then the whole area is without light again.”
Also read:
Raw sewage disaster in Menlo Park
Major health risk in Menlo Park
More sewage leaks in Menlo Park
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