POLOKWANE – The municipality is failing us and only know us when they need our votes, say Nirvana residents.
Residents say they had enough of the municipality’s “lack of service delivery” in their community.
“We have to duck and dive when we drive in Nirvana because in every street there is a pothole. I called the municipality to fix the potholes in our area and I know some my neighbours did too, but it is a waste of time,” one residents says. “The municipality fixes one or two potholes and fills others with sand and think we must be happy with that.”
Residents who live in Kashmir Avenue say their street lights had not been working for a month. “A few of us called them to fix the lights, but they keep on telling us that people from the workshop will fix the lights. At the end of the day, no one comes. Two weeks ago there was a robbery in the street and because we don’t have street lights, it is difficult to catch these crooks,” another resident says.
On the corner of Kashmir Avenue and Tagore Drive, there is a municipal electric albox with a charge of 11 000 volts. This box is not locked and parents fear for their children’s lives.”It is not safe, our children could be electrocuted. The municipality is reckless,” an angry parent says. Residents are also upset about a piece of municipal land that they claim the municipality does not maintain.”The municipality used the property during the 2010 Soccer World Cup as a park and ride area. Now the place is overgrown with bushes and criminals hide in these bushes. We feel unsafe. We have called the municipality to complain and were sent to their parks department. We reported the matter, but nothing is being done,” a residents says.
Not far from the park and ride property there is another open piece of land opposite the Nirvana hall. Residents say people dump used tyres on the land. They say they reported the matter, but nothing is being done.”We don’t know what to do, because the municipality does not care about people the way they claim in the media.”
Matshidiso Mothapo, municipal spokesperson, says there is now a dedicated team working on the roads in Nirvana. The team started working on Wednesday.
Tyres are stacked in that area illegally, allegedly by foreign nationals who transport them to their countries for re-use. The municipality conducts raids from time to time to confiscate tyres.
He says vandals were to blame for the electric box problems and residents should report all electrical problems at (015) 290 2940.
