Residents concerned about overgrown plot
'It's never been as bad as it is now. It's dirty, unsafe and unsightly,'
Two local residents recently voiced their concern about the overgrown plot on the corner of Ouklip and Graphite Roads.
According to Stan Lucas and Fanie Smith this piece of land (believed to be just short of three hectares) is cleaned only once a year – if they’re lucky. Even though the plot used to be cleaned on a regular basis, Stan stressed that it had become a concern over the past three to four years.
“It’s never been as bad as it is now. It’s dirty, unsafe and unsightly. It’s the perfect breeding ground for all kinds of pests and rodents. We also know of at least two armed robberies that took place in the past year alone. Needless to say, the criminals hide in the tall grass and weeds, and target the homes closest to the veld,” Stan explained.
He went on to say that the grass and weeds are growing into the road, reducing the lane space for motorists making use of Ouklip Road. The veld is also home to various homeless persons at night.
When walking through the veld, one can expect to find all kinds of litter including liquor bottles and dangerous objects.
“We are not the custodians of this piece of land which is going to waste. We pay our rates and taxes but it isn’t reflecting in our community,” said Stan, who has been living near the veld since 1994.
According to Ward 83 councillor Florence Roberts she has been aware of the issue for many years.
“This piece of land – which belongs to the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) – has been a matter of concern for the past ten years or so. The original plan was to build a school, but it never materialised. Either way the GDE remains accountable for the upkeep of the plot,” she said.
She went on to say that the plot was last cleaned approximately a year ago. After many appeals from Councillor Roberts, City Parks & Zoo and the Department of Environmental Health had cleaned the stand with leftover funds in the grass-cutting budget.
“There are currently 15 stands owned by the Gauteng Provincial Government which are outside the CoJ-funded mandate. I have appealed to the DA MPLs and particularly my DA Roodepoort political head for assistance on the Provincial Government level,” she concluded.
The GDE has been contacted for comment on the matter. However, the Record hasn’t received any feedback as of yet.
