Top stories in Pretoria West 2023
Some of the most notable stories that occurred in the west of Pretoria this year.
With 2023 wrapping up here’s a look at some of the eye-catching stories that affected the west of Pretoria.
Recyclers stir residents’ fury
Pretoria West residents expressed their frustration over illegal recycling depots that have invited various unsavoury elements to the area.
In a petition that has garnered 2 240 signatures, residents have expressed their frustration over the depots on Moot and Claremont streets.
The residents in ward 1 and 55 say that these depots are unregistered and unlicensed and deal with various trades including recycling to scrap metal.
The depots reportedly attract a lot of vagrants who have been accused of littering, using and selling drugs, and causing an increase in crime in the area.
The metro confirmed that there is no licensed depot in the area and illegal depots have been causing a multitude of issues.
Ward 1 councillor Leon Kruyshaar held a clean-up of the park in late September with the TMPD and SAPS. Kruyshaar said residents around Groen Dam had complained about the rampant drug use.
Residents were called to stop buying from and supporting the recyclers who reportedly do drugs, dirty their community, steal cables and rob people.
Residents of the Lotus Gardens, Atteridgeville and Saulsville Civic Association were particularly a stone in the metro’s shoe this year.
Lasca has been very vocal about policies that it believed are designed to target the poor such as the TshwaneYaTima campaign, credit control, estimated bills and lack of by-law enforcement as well as service delivery.
Throughout the municipal strike, residents boycotted rent and rates so long as they were not receiving services.
In a meeting during mid-2023, Lasca alleged that finance MMC Petter Sutton had vowed to end the TshwaneYaTima campaign and address the issue of scrapping of bills. A claim the MMC vehemently denied and insisted that no such write-off was on the cards for the metro shortly after.
The tensions throughout the year culminated in a large gathering outside Tshwane House recently where Lasca residents and supporting civic organisations dumped the estimated bill letters and vowed to shut down the metro should they not receive a response to their demands.
Ward mourns beloved slain security officer
Proclamation Hill residents held a night vigil to honour a local on-duty security officer who was gunned down in April. Luckmore Moyo was on duty on April 13 when a suspicious car pulled up next to where he was parked. Two armed suspects accosted and shot him dead at point-blank range. A large crowd of ward 3 residents gathered at the spot where the beloved officer was gunned down on the corner of Mica and Kiepersol streets on April 20 to show their support for Moyo’s family, friends and colleagues.
Affectionately referred to as Lucky by the locals, Moyo had been with ADT since May 2020. He had patrolled the streets of ward 3 for several years, building bonds with residents in the process.
Residents optimistic over new power station upgrades
Residents in the west of Pretoria welcomed the plan to rehabilitate the Pretoria West power station. The Tshwane metro has proposed to lease two power stations that would generate 1 000MW of energy and reduce its dependence on Eskom.
During a briefing at Rooiwal power station on September 18, Mayor Cilliers Brink said the metro spent about R300-million a year powering its buildings, water treatment plants and other infrastructure. He said the existing power stations were licensed and Tshwane would begin operating them.
Brink said the power station could be repurposed for renewable energy production that will support the revitalisation of the Pretoria West industrial hub.
He added that Tshwane would host an energy indaba around November to communicate the approved policy suite before inviting proposals for alternative energy solutions to support the transition to a sustainable and secure energy future.
Residents and councillors expressed excitement as they believed that it would help with electricity woes.
Rugby club restores local beloved park
Cronje Park in Pretoria West had become an eye-sore and hive for vagrant activity.
It was upgraded following a new partnership between a local rugby club and the metro earlier this year. Amid the complaints about the park’s deteriorating state, the Thunderstrikers rugby club assured residents that the park would be restored to an acceptable standard.
Thunderstrikers recently signed a one-year contract with the Tshwane metro allowing the rugby club to train and play matches on the field. Since the agreement, noticeable upgrades to the park were gradually made, though the community was called to play its part as well.
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