“Absolutely disgusting!” is one phrase that was used by business owners, residents, shoppers and a local DA councillor when describing the Evander CBD.
People and businesses are openly exposed to a horrendous sight of what once was a beautiful, proud and buzzing town.
One is instantly greeted, when entering the CBD, with broken glass, rubbish and black bags strewn as far as the eye can see, drug dealers and users, prostitutes, homeless people squatting, open and missing drain covers, overgrown grass and flower beds and the revolting smell of urine and faeces.
The worst is that businesses are suffering because shoppers are too scared to make use of the now dilapidated and neglected CBD that has turned into a crime hub.
Any clean-up effort done by business owners, residents and members of the Evander Rate Payers Association is all in vain.
Minutes after a clean-up effort is made, the area once again becomes a dumping site and creates a vicious cycle.
“People are too scared to come to town. I feel unsafe to come here,” said DA Cllr Ansie Van Marle.
She said that there has to be a solution to this problem. A town should not look like this and residents should be able to feel safe when shopping.
She said residents should feel proud of their town.
“Years ago, I had my own dairy business in this very same CBD and it was one of the nicest places to be and to shop,” said Ms Van Marle.
A salon owner who has been serving her community for almost 30 years, of which 11 years is where her current salon is situated, said that women clients do not want to support her salon anymore because they feel unsafe.
“This is affecting my business,” said the salon owner.
She said vagrants and drug addicts use the entrance of her shop as a toilet.
She said that she and the public have been exposed many times to used condoms, needles and even blood at the entrance of her shop.
A broken window is also a telltale sign of a previously attempted break-in.
“I have complained to local authorities numerous times, but nothing happens,” said the salon owner.
Several other business owners spoke to the Ridge Times and voiced the same concerns.
Due to fear of intimidation, business owners and employees did not want the Ridge Times to mention their names.
“You can see in clear view the exchanges of drugs during the day. Some of these shops are only a ruse to store drugs,” said a shop owner.
He said when police do execute a raid, the drug activity is calm for a day or two. Then everything goes back to the same, and if not worse.
Some business owners claim the local police take bribes from these dealers and that the dealers are tipped off by police before a raid.
A businessman raised his concerns over homeless people erecting their shelters in front of businesses and leaving the area in a mess.
“The homeless were removed not so long ago. Police and the municipality removed them and all their belongings, but look here, they just come back,” said the businessman, pointing in the direction of the homeless.
“This is a very bad area. I also have a broken window where they tried to break in. My clients don’t want to come here anymore and I am losing business!”
Worst of all is the local library that is smack bang in the middle of the drug-infested nest.
When walking into the library, only one person and a librarian could be seen.
A librarian is concerned that people do not want to use the library anymore because of the criminal activity right in front of the library and that “little ones” are being targeted and lured into drug use and dealings.
When leaving the library, the Ridge Times came across a group of CWP workers sitting under a tree and showing no interest in working and cleaning the CBD.
Besides the criminal aspect, business owners voiced their anger towards Govan Mbeki Municipality for the lack of basics paid-for services.
A 36 year-long resident and businessman said: “I think the law enforcement and council should just do what they are supposed to do.
“They don’t have to do anything unnaturally, we are not asking them to do more than what they are supposed to do with regards to safety and the upkeep and servicing of the town.”
He said that when reporting issues to the municipality, such as a water leak he had at his shop, it took several months before the municipality attended to the problem.
“When they eventually came to fix the leak, they did a temporary job. Six months down the line we encountered the same problem,” said the businessman.
He said to save the huge amounts of water that were being lost and the hassle of having to call out GMM again, he paid a plumber to fix the problem.
He pointed out that GMM also does not render basic services, such as refuse removals, and that they always use the same old excuse of no diesel, manpower or working truck.
He said because the dumping area is always full, businesses just throw their rubbish bags anywhere.
He even pointed out to the prostitutes for leaving the CBD in a mess.
When walking past the post office, there are telltale signs of cardboard boxes in flower beds that are used as a surface for clients, with used condoms and dirty underwear right next to it.
Govan Mbeki Municipality responds
In response to the article about the horrendous state of the Evander CBD, Mr Donald Green, acting manager of Communication for Govan Mbeki Municipality said that the municipality’s mandate for law enforcement and social services are limited as the bulk of these functions reside with police and the Department of Social Development.
He also stated however, that several street cleaning teams are focused on the central business district while refuse removal workers regularly empty litter bins and identify possible illegal dumping spots for clearing and preventative actions.
“As all people have the right to the freedom of movement and earning a living, this remains a complex matter for which all relevant stakeholders and community members need to work together to collectively find long-term, sustainable, holistic solutions to issues surrounding the homeless, vagrancy and illegal trading in the central business district,” said Mr Green.
- The Ridge Times sent an email to Serg Zuki Mxhotyelwa of the Evander Police pertaining questions on the CDB and challenges they may face when it comes to combating crime in this area. A WhatsApp was also sent as confirmation of the email sent and that response would be required at the time for deadline.
At the time of going to print response was yet to be received.
