A long-standing Silverton resident claims that the suburb is experiencing the worst service delivery decline that she has witnessed since moving to the area more than five decades ago.

The metro is currently grappling with a significant service delivery backlog that has persisted for months, leaving many residents frustrated as critical issues remain unresolved for extended periods.

Residents across several suburbs in the east of Pretoria feel neglected, as they continue to endure long delays before water leaks, sewage spills, power outages, and potholes are addressed.

Marietjie van Deventer, who has lived in Silverton since 1974, said the condition of the suburb has deteriorated significantly, with this past year being the worst she has ever seen.

Van Deventer said issues such as pothole-riddled roads, leaking sewage, burst pipes, overgrown municipal spaces and non-functioning streetlights have become common across the area.

“I have lived in Silverton since 1974, and this is the worst level of service delivery I have ever seen in the suburb,” she said.

Van Deventer said for long-time residents who have watched the suburb change over the years, the current situation is deeply disappointing.

“What we are seeing now is simply unacceptable,” she said.

One of the most pressing concerns raised by residents is the growing number of potholes on local roads.

A large pothole at the corner of De Boulevard and Moreleta Street near a traffic circle is a serious concern.

The pothole keeps filling with water and getting bigger. Residents are worried that it could eventually turn into a sinkhole.

Sewage spillages have also become a recurring problem in parts of Silverton.

Residents along Onida Avenue have reportedly had to deal with sewage flowing in the street for extended periods before the municipality responds.

Sometimes it runs for weeks before the city comes to attend to it. It creates an unhealthy environment for everyone living nearby.

Van Deventer also raised concerns about several non-functioning streetlights along Pretoria Road and surrounding streets, saying the situation poses safety risks for both motorists and pedestrians.

Public spaces have also fallen into neglect, according to Van Deventer. She said areas such as Kongo Park and the surroundings of the Silverton Rugby Club are poorly maintained.

“Public parks are neglected and some are now occupied by vagrants. Kongo Park is one of the areas residents are concerned about, and the surroundings of the Silverton Rugby Club are also deteriorating,” she said.

Van Deventer said the well-known Meyerspark Bird Sanctuary on Van Wyk Street has also not been properly maintained.

“The grass at the Meyerspark Bird Sanctuary has not been cut since 2025. It is one of the well-known green spaces in our area, yet it has been completely neglected,” she said.

Frustrated by the lack of municipal maintenance, community members have begun stepping in to address some of the issues themselves.

The Blou Bruggie Projek (Blue Bridge Project), sponsored by Uitkyk Meat and Supermarket, has partnered with Silverton High School to cut the grass at the sanctuary in early May.

Van Deventer said the community initiative highlights what she believes is the city’s absence when public spaces require attention.

“Tshwane is absolutely absent when this park needs attention. The community is now forced to step in where the city should be doing its job,” she said.

Residents have also raised concerns about a faulty water meter that had reportedly gone unresolved for months after being reported in August 2025.

“The water meter has been faulty since August last year and cannot transmit readings. We have reported it many times, but nothing has been done,” Van Deventer said.

Ward 41 councillor Ben Chapman said the decline in service delivery is linked to reduced maintenance capacity.

“At the same time, hundreds of millions of rands have been spent on water tankers, yet essential services that residents rely on daily have been neglected,” Chapman said.

He added that internal grass-cutting teams do not have the capacity to service the entire eastern side of Pretoria.

“In some cases, you have a single team of around a dozen workers expected to service the entire eastern side of Pretoria. That is completely unrealistic,” he said.

Chapman said the lack of dedicated streetlight contractors and cuts to overtime have also slowed down response times to faults.

“From my perspective, and in all my years serving as a councillor, the past year has been among the worst periods for service delivery that I have experienced,” he said.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that the faulty meter has been replaced.

Mashigo said the city receives a high volume of water and sanitation service requests, which can sometimes affect response times.

“The city receives a lot of water and sanitation service requests and strives to have them attended to within the permissible turnaround times. Communities have an expectation for immediate feedback on service requests; however, the volume of calls received makes it difficult at times,” he said.

Mashigo explained that when a meter is faulty, the resident is billed based on estimated consumption until the meter is replaced.

“If the estimation is high or low, the consumer gets credited or debited, and the account will be adjusted once the meter is replaced,” he said.

Mashigo added that the city has systems in place to monitor service requests.

“The city has performance management systems which monitor service requests. Daily and weekly reports are provided by the Customer Relations Department to EXCO, MAYCO and the Service Delivery War Room on outstanding service requests,” he said.

He said the city has a weekly programme of attending to parks, cemeteries, community halls, libraries, road reserves and public open spaces.

Mashigo also addressed concerns about vagrants occupying public spaces in Silverton.

“The city is no longer able to arrest homeless people for vagrancy, as loitering is no longer considered a critical crime. Arresting vagrants would require support from SAPS to hold the homeless in detention or temporary facilities, which the city does not have,” he said.

He added that the municipality is working with the Gauteng Department of Social Development to increase the number of homeless shelters.

Mashigo further said the city is currently working to address a large backlog of potholes.

“The city is currently resolving a backlog of approximately 14 000 potholes on its road network from the last six months,” he said.

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