Bluff pensioner throws shade at city over uncollected October 2017 storm debris, verge tree damage
"I'm always given excuses such as there is no staff available or they don't reply to my requests at all."
A BLUFF pensioner is at his wit’s end as he has been at odds with the municipality about an overgrown tree since 2012 and debris left behind from last year’s October storm.
WATCH: Torrential weather causes mayhem across Durban South
Feeling ignored and frustrated, John McLeod wonders why his calls and pleas to clean up his road have fallen on deaf ears.
“I’m always given excuses such as there is no staff available or they don’t reply to my requests at all. I have called the parks department and our ward 66 councillor for help, but there’s been no response as yet,” he said.
He believes the needs of Wyham Avenue residents on the Bluff are being ignored as cuttings from trees which were claimed in the October 2017 storm damage have been left on the roadside.
Being a pensioner, McLeod can’t do much about it except ask and wait for the relevant departments to clean up the area.
READ: Bluff storm tree debris will take four weeks to clear
Since he moved into his home, McLeod has dealt with the upheaval caused by the roots of a massive verge-side tree. As it has continued to grow, its roots have spread towards his home, lifting the soil and making it difficult for him to fence his home. “The roots are also cracking my walls and moving my home. I have called countless times to get this matter resolved or even for them to just trim the tree, all to no avail,” he added.
He believes the municipality shouldn’t ignore residents as they pay rates and taxes specifically to ensure their areas are maintained. “We are constantly put on hold. I just want the area to look neat again, instead it has become a graveyard for year-old storm damage,” he said.
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