Dear Council
As I write this, Roodepoort south of the railway line from the CBD to Florida is once again without power. This is a frequent occurrence; sometimes due to cable theft, other times due to the breakdown of aging infrastructure, and this is on top of load-shedding.
The functioning of any modern civilisation is dependent on reliable electricity supply – it is not a luxury, it is an essential service. We have been promised an upgrade to our electricity infrastructure for over 25 years, forever being told that it is in the budget, but still we wait. This is an intolerable state of affairs. That the same feeder cables are stolen frequently shows a woeful lack of adequate security measures. Relatively inexpensive security mechanisms exist to detect and instantaneously report equipment movement; such devices would pay for themselves in a single incident. Why are these not employed to protect vital infrastructure?
Residents have been reduced to dealing with the City’s abysmally inefficient help desk system to report a fault and even then, action is painfully slow. Overall, the current situation is a giant step backwards and ratepayers are justifiably infuriated. We expect our hard-earned tax money to be used carefully and effectively, to ensure high-quality, efficient, uninterrupted service, so that the economy can be sustained and thrive.
Why does a supposedly ‘world class city’ not have the means to internally manage and maintain its own infrastructure? Why is it possible to sell stolen copper, manhole covers and other municipal assets as scrap? Why does the City not adequately police, maintain and improve their infrastructure? Why is it up to us to alert you to failures that you should be pre-emptively managing? One cannot help but conclude that the very people charged with maintaining our infrastructure are most likely complicit in its destruction.
We want answers, action, and the improvements that we have not only been repeatedly promised, but have already paid for. This particular area may not be the wealthiest but we are equal in the eyes of the constitution and are taxed as such. Your job is to support our interests, and we expect results. Please make sure this outrageous situation receives the highest, most urgent attention. Our patience has worn thin.
Residents, please take the time to press your ward councillors on these issues. We are already in a critical position, likely past a tipping point, and without immediate concerted action, our lives will become irrevocably and increasingly miserable.
*Letter shortened — Ed.
