Ward representatives in the north of Pretoria have reflected on their service-delivery records and outstanding challenges since the 2021 Local Government Elections, with water leaks, potholes, streetlights and infrastructure maintenance remaining among the concerns raised.

Ward 50 councillor Lenise Breytenbach said she believed about 90% of her commitments had been fulfilled, crediting community involvement for the progress.

Breytenbach identified crime, streetlights, potholes and water leaks as outstanding issues.

She attributed the delays to budget constraints, inexperienced staff and what she described as a lack of supervision by the Tshwane metro.

She said progress was being pursued through regular meetings, daily follow-ups and working alongside municipal teams on the ground.

Responding to residents who felt that more had been promised than delivered, Breytenbach said challenges would continue but stressed the importance of community participation.

“We will always face issues on a daily basis. But as a community we have grown so much. It can only go better with everyone’s involvement and support,” she said.

Breytenbach committed to holding more public meetings where officials would be called upon to explain outstanding matters.

Ward 2 councillor Quentin Meyer said his commitments included improving service delivery, bringing services closer to residents and maintaining an open-door policy.

Meyer said more than 3 000 potholes had been tracked in the ward, with about 90% of those identified having been repaired.

He also cited work involving streetlights, stormwater systems, road markings, cleaning and illegal dumping.

He acknowledged that ageing infrastructure, limited resources, vandalism, procurement processes and contractor capacity continued to affect service delivery.

“My commitment was to represent residents, escalate problems and hold the administration accountable for delivery,” said Meyer.

He added that residents had the right to expect municipal services to function properly and said he would continue following up on outstanding complaints.

ActionSA Ward 2 councillor candidate Vitesh KP Hurinanthan said his priorities for Pretoria North included upgrading the Wolmer and Jan van Riebeeck substations, repairing potholes, resurfacing roads and improving community safety.

He also pledged to advocate for the transparent and corruption-free allocation of title deeds to residents of Wolmer’s low-cost housing.

Hurinanthan identified service delivery, refuse collection, street cleanliness, road and pavement maintenance, streetlights, youth unemployment, poverty alleviation and support for local businesses as key issues requiring attention.

He argued that progress should be measured through evidence of completed work rather than political announcements.

“Progress must be measured against verifiable outcomes rather than announcements via video footage,” he said, calling for greater transparency around municipal budgets, project delays and implementation timelines.

Hurinanthan said residents deserved clear explanations about outstanding problems and should not have to wait until another election to receive answers. He pledged to advocate for regular communication between municipal departments and communities, including updates on reported faults, approved projects and expected completion dates.

In Ward 98, independent councillor candidate Thabo Moroane criticised the state of municipal services, claiming that conditions had deteriorated since 2021.

“Nothing has happened in Ward 98 from 2021 to now in 2026. Actually, things have gone worse. Everything is broken. Everything is dilapidated,” he said.

Moroane called for ward-by-ward assessments, transparent reporting on municipal projects and clear explanations when commitments were delayed or cancelled.

He said residents deserved to know what had been promised, what had been delivered and what remained outstanding.

Alderman Aaron Maluleka, the MMC responsible for Region 1, urged residents to take responsibility for keeping their communities clean and protecting municipal infrastructure.

He appealed to residents not to litter, use illegal dumping sites or dispose of waste in stormwater canals, warning that blocked drainage systems could contribute to flooding.

Maluleka also urged residents to report the vandalism or misuse of streetlights and high-mast lights, stressing that the infrastructure is intended to improve safety in communities and should not be illegally removed or used for private events.

He said service-delivery programmes were continuing across Region 1, including pothole repairs, streetlight maintenance, grass cutting, tree pruning and stormwater management.

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