Residents clean where GMM fails to

SECUNDA – Rather than wait for the Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) to cut the grass, resident Johan Smit cleans the green strip area near the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Hodgson Street residents have also cleaned up the green strip between Highveld Park High and Highveld Ridge Primary schools.

However, there are concerns about crime in these green strips and the safety of learners and the public using these paths. Smit said it was up to residents, churches and businesses to clean the green strips when the GMM does not.

When the Ridge Times visited Smit, he was cutting down a bush, which he said was a spot criminals could use to hide. Smit is a retired police captain and knows how criminals operate and use bushy areas to hide.

“The overgrown grass and bushes are a great hideaway for criminals. I cut the grass to make it safer for children to ride their bicycles and pedestrians,” Smit said.

He has even cleaned part of the stream along the green strip to stop the drains from overflowing and feels other residents must play their part.

He said the government expects people to vote, but the GMM fails in service delivery.

Smit said the church and a few residents clean the areas around the properties, but if every resident staying along the green strips cleaned a bit further, it would help a lot.

“Our neighbours need to be more concerned for their safety,” Smit said.

He also pointed out an open manhole, apparently reported to the GMM about three years ago, which is covered by long grass, and a pedestrian bridge covered with overgrown bushes.

“How does the GMM expect pedestrians and green strip users to be safe with these overgrown trees and bushes? It is a mess,” said Smit, pointing out the bridge.

Donald Green, the GMM spokesperson, said the municipality is aware of the long grass and verge maintenance challenges. He said programmes are being implemented in all areas, including cemeteries, under the municipality’s jurisdiction.

“Teams have already been deployed to cut the grass in the green strips. The municipality has also resorted to approving overtime for its grass-cutting team to clear the grass-cutting backlog,” Green said.

He added that the weather had affected the GMM’s efforts to address the situation and that teams were busy on the ground.

“The grass-cutting programme cannot be implemented when it rains, which then prolongs the cycle,” Green concluded.

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