Residents raise issues at community meeting in Evander

EVANDER – Many residents voiced their concerns and anger at a community meeting held in Evander on Wednesday evening, 13 November.

Ms Estelle Swart, DA councillor, organised this meeting and tried to get municipal employees from different departments to attend the meeting, but only two municipal officials showed up.

They answered some of residents’ burning questions, but they could not answer questions that involved other municipal departments.

“Unfortunately, the officials from the water and sewer department and the electrical department could not be here tonight,” said Ms Swart.

Evander residents who were left without water for days, was biggest issue on the agenda.

Ms Mariaan Chamberlain, DA councillor, explained to residents that Evander exprienced many water pipe bursts over the last few weeks and if a pipe bursts, the valves are closed to fix the pipes.

It then takes a while for the reservoir to fill up and provide water to all.

Another problem is Rand Water throttling Govan Mbeki Municipality’s water supply by 20 per cent, because of non-payment.

Mr Hein Badenhorst, DA councillor and part of the financial portfolio, spoke to residents about the municipality’s finances and said they do not have money to repair anything and that the municipality’s debt amounts to billions.

Other issues discussed, were the upkeeping and maintenance of the open spaces and parks in Evander, stolen manhole covers in the CBD, taxi drivers who park and wash their taxi’s illegally, illegal caravans, sewage plant pump stations that are not working and parties at Evander Dam that go hand-in-hand with loud noise and music and people littering the area with glass bottles.

Mr Dennis Masuko, from the Department of Parks and Open Spaces, addressed residents and agreed that the parks look terrible.

“The parks have been here for a long time and we need a huge capital investment to improve them,” said Mr Masuko.

“When the budget was done, the municipality did not budget for the parks and I had no vote to develop the park here, only the one in Bethal and eMbalenhle.

“I had to apply for funding to develop those parks.

“Give me resources, then we can improve these parks as well.”

One of the residents said that Sasol is doing a lot of things the municipality is supposed to do.

“The more Sasol does, the less the municipality will get involved,” said the resident. Why does Secunda look so good? Is it because Sasol is doing a lot of the work there.”

Ms Swart said it is the first time that so many people attended a meeting she organised in Evander.

The DA councillors suggested that they have another meeting before the end of this year and try to get the municipal officials from the other departments at the meeting.