Letter: Stone S-bend bus stop now repaired
PRIOR to the “Hey Danny, Fix Me” signs going up, the Ward 2 office had already been negotiating with various municipal departments to have the S-bend bus stop rectified. I have now received confirmation that the final quotes have come in and that the historic bus stop has been repaired for the second time. Sadly, the application of the well-documented “Schoenies” service delivery model has yet to yield satisfactory results for the three street lamp poles that remain flattened and out of service in the same area. Numerous follow-up e-mails have revealed that there may or may not be poles in stock in the municipal stores (we have had conflicting reports on this one). However, even if there were poles in store, the ward office has been informed that there are no light fittings available.
That must be why the poles that went up on Target Kloof a few months back are still standing without their own light fittings. Getting back to basics means rolling out refuse collection, ensuring that corrupt officials are charged and, if found guilty, convicted, fixing street lights, cleaning up cemeteries and parks, painting road lines, fixing potholes and fixing leaks. But with hundreds of broken street lights, the stores in dire need of essentials and an administration struggling to get all the basics right, I may have to get residents to start using torches while out on the road. On a happier note, I was pleased to see that my emergency DIY repair job to a vicious pothole in Strandfontein Road has in fact weathered quite well. However, without any municipal contracts for asphalt, I fear that the pothole problem is only going to get worse. So, I am looking for any civic-minded residents who feel inclined to join forces with the Ward 2 office possibly to put together a pilot project civic pothole repair team as well as a ward streetlight team to assist with identifying and plotting faulty lights for repair. Should you be interested in getting involved either as a sponsor, or willing to offer time and expertise, please e-mail me at ward2@mandelametro.gov.za
