A long-time South Crest resident has voiced deep frustration over what she describes as unacceptable service delivery failures in South Crest, saying the state of the area left residents feeling ashamed during the festive season.

Marguerette Hanekom, who has lived in South Crest for 10 years, shared her concerns in the days leading up to Christmas, saying the lack of basic maintenance by the City of Ekurhuleni had reached a breaking point.

“With Christmas just days away, a time when you want to be proud of where you stay, you now have to bow your head in shame.

“It was deeply disappointing that no visible effort had been made by the municipality to clean or maintain anything, at least once a year before Christmas and New Year,” Hanekom said.

Overgrown intersections posed safety risk

Hanekom raised serious safety concerns about the corner of Jan Meyer and Vlei Street, where overgrown bushes had grown as high as a stop sign.

“This was surely an accident waiting to happen because you could not see oncoming cars.

“I almost had an accident because visibility was so poor,” she said.

She questioned why only certain areas received attention while others were neglected.

“I passed this corner and saw the park being trimmed.

“It looked beautiful and neat, but when you looked around, the bushes were overgrown right next to it.

“Maintaining the park is part of Ekurhuleni, but the rest is not?”

According to Hanekom, a resident eventually took it upon themselves to break branches to improve visibility at the intersection.

Sewage and drainage issues lingered

Another major concern involved a blocked drain near the Ausslen complex, where Hanekom says sewage flowed into the vlei for days.

“Our first complaint was logged on December 4.

“They came out four times before Christmas and nothing was done,” she said.

It was only on December 27 that workers dug a large hole and addressed the problem.

“It took 10 days that we had to live with the smell and filth.

“Now the drain seems fine, but it should never have taken that long,” she said.

Hanekom added that residents should not have to report routine maintenance issues.

“Since when do we report basic maintenance to the city?

“Drains, yes. But cutting grass and clearing visibility at intersections should be done regularly.”

Roads riddled with potholes

She also pointed to the poor condition of Paul Kruger Street, saying the road was so damaged that it was difficult to drive through.

We did not even go to the potholes. You could not drive in that street,” she said.

Residents frustrated with service delivery

Many residents felt there was little to celebrate as Christmas approached.

There was no excitement for Christmas , as people were fed up with always having to complain about service delivery, something they should be receiving as a basic need.

Taxpayers do not see where their money is going.

When residents do not pay rates, their water gets cut.

But when the city does not deliver, no one is held accountable.

Residents have reached their limit, and the community deserves answers, action, and immediate intervention.

Alberton Record has contacted the City of Ekurhuleni regarding the concerns raised and is awaiting a response.