Almost a year after Willowbrae AH residents near Equestria complained about poor service delivery in 2025, they say little has changed, with roads continuing to deteriorate, illegal dumping remaining rife, and streetlights still not working.

Property owners are also paying higher rates for fewer municipal services.

Some residents, who have lived in the area for more than 30 years, said their property values have declined because of the area’s deteriorating condition and urban decay, while municipal rates and levies continue to increase.

Monika Marucchi said Willowbrae was once a well-maintained and safe agricultural holdings area, but residents now feel abandoned by the municipality.

“We used to have a small agricultural holdings area here. It was well maintained and safe. Now it feels as though the municipality has forgotten about us,” she said.

Marucchi said several long-standing problems remain unresolved, including non-functioning streetlights, deteriorating road conditions on Brae Avenue and Dellwood Road, and persistent illegal dumping along Libertas Avenue.

Marucchi questioned why only part of Bush Road had recently been tarred as part of a new development, while other developments in the area had not been required to upgrade surrounding roads.

“I also understand that when a property is developed, the developer has to build or upgrade the roads. The roads in this area were originally tarred. Had the city simply maintained them properly, they would never have deteriorated to this extent. That is why we pay rates and taxes.”

Marucchi said the area was once home to several German-speaking families and a popular German restaurant, but as infrastructure deteriorated, businesses closed because customers no longer wanted to travel on the poorly maintained roads.

She said many of the concerns residents raised with the metro last year remain unresolved.

She said Dellwood Road, which connects Bronkhorstspruit Road and Willowbrae, has deteriorated to the point where sections of the tar road have effectively become gravel because of the heavy truck traffic servicing nearby depots and factories.

They are concerned about a fuel depot operating within the residential area because of the risks associated with storing and transporting flammable materials close to homes.

Vagrants sleeping in overgrown grass and bushes behind their properties also add to their concerns, saying the vegetation provides cover for criminals and leaves homeowners feeling unsafe.

She said the area is plagued by noisy factories, particularly a steel manufacturer opposite residential properties. Sirens go off day and night, including weekends, while trucks make deliveries during the early hours.

She added that poor road conditions have discouraged e-hailing services from entering the area, while ineffective waste collection has resulted in bins being stolen and refuse bags being ripped open in nearby open spaces.

Marucchi said the situation has worsened this year, with illegal dumping along Libertas Avenue continuing despite repeated complaints to the metro.

Business owners along Libertas Avenue have also raised concerns as piles of construction rubble and household waste continue to build up along the roadside, creating an eyesore, attracting rodents and posing health risks.

Marucchi said the lack of functioning streetlights has left the area in darkness at night, creating opportunities for criminal activity.

“We have had enough of promises and excuses. We want action, and we want it now,” she said.

The residents said they have been reporting the matter to the metro since 2023, but little has been done so far to permanently stop the growing illegal dumping.

Ward 41 Councillor Ben Chapman said the challenges along Libertas Avenue extend beyond illegal dumping, which has plagued the area for more than a decade, despite repeated clean-up operations by the metro.

“It’s not that the city is not doing nothing. The problem is that within two days of the area being cleaned, illegal dumpers return and the waste starts piling up again.”

He said the recurring problem demonstrates that simply removing the waste is not enough and that the metro needs to adopt new strategies that address the root causes of illegal dumping.

According to Chapman, one of the main reasons for the continued dumping could be the high cost of disposing of building rubble and other waste at municipal facilities such as the Hatherley Landfill Site and garden refuse sites.

He also claimed that criminal syndicates operating at Hatherley have created safety concerns, discouraging legitimate waste contractors from disposing of waste there.

“TMPD officers cannot patrol the area 24 hours a day. Once they leave, the illegal dumpers simply return. Enforcement alone will not solve the problem,” he said.

He suggested that the city consider closing the Libertas Avenue access point from Bronkhorstspruit Road.

“Many of the dumpers come from Nellmapius. If that access is closed, they would have to use Simon Vermooten or Solomon Mahlangu Road instead, which is a much longer route. That inconvenience could discourage illegal dumping.”

Chapman also stressed the need for greater public awareness and education around illegal dumping.

He added that residents who witness offenders are often reluctant to report them because they are required to open criminal cases and may later have to testify in court.

Chapman said non-functioning streetlights have further contributed to safety concerns along the route.

He added that working streetlights would not only improve road safety for motorists and pedestrians but could also help deter criminal activity and illegal dumping in the area, particularly at night.

Chapman has also asked the Tshwane Emergency Services Department (EMS) to investigate the operation of fuel tankers within the residential area.

In correspondence seen by Rekord, Chapman said residents had raised concerns about the apparent parking, dispatch, and operation of fuel tankers close to homes, arguing that the handling and transportation of flammable substances could pose fire, explosion and environmental risks.

However, in its response, the EMS Department said a fire safety officer inspected the property and found no indication that it was being used to store, dispense or transfer fuel.

According to the department, no bulk quantities of flammable liquid were found during the inspection. Fire safety officers were informed that the vehicles were empty and were used solely to transport fuel products.

The metro said it is aware of the issues in Willowbrae AH, with metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo saying that the soil berms along Libertas Avenue were installed to prevent vehicles from accessing open stands where illegal dumping frequently occurs.

“Illegal dumping on Libertas Avenue is cleared monthly using mechanical equipment, while manual litter picking is undertaken every two weeks. The most recent mechanical clean-up was conducted on July 1 and 2,” said Mashigo.

Mashigo said the city’s Municipal Health Services department has not received any formal complaints about noise pollution in the area.

“However, the matter will be investigated and discussed with businesses operating near the affected streets.”

He added that the Municipal Health Services, which is responsible for environmental health matters, will also investigate complaints related to dust and noise caused by heavy vehicles.

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