DA calls for better service delivery in Alberton
"We will not stop pressuring the City to deliver on its mandate of basic service delivery."- alderman Bruna Haipel
The residents of Alberton are continuously plagued by service delivery failures and they have had enough!
The Democratic Alliance (DA), along with the residents of Alberton, are calling for answers and a plan of action.
I am aware that the companies installing fibre in areas of Alberton have caused havoc with the underground infrastructure, like water pipes and electrical cables, despite having wayleave documents and plans of where these services are to be found.
The City of Ekurhuleni’s (CoE) policy is that these companies will be fined, and heavily so.
I have requested the total amount of the fines which the City issued and will be collected for all the damages caused.
I have also suggested to the HOD that CoE should allow residents to claim from these fines, for any damages they may have incurred.
Unfortunately, I am told, this is not possible but residents could claim against the fibre companies.
Apart from the problems caused by the fibre companies, Alberton has ageing water infrastructure, especially in Alberante Extension One.
The request for complete replacement of the water infrastructure is on my IDP, but will the City deliver?
Additionally, many other areas continue to experience water leaks and sewer blockages. Despite the department’s best efforts, staff shortages and ineptitude cause undue delays where leaks cannot be found and holes dug up do not get filled for months, posing a serious safety risk.
Our electricity network is often compromised by cable theft, illegal connections and equipment failure.
The energy department is drastically short-staffed, which in turn causes an over-expenditure on repairs and maintenance due to overtime, but unfortunately, this does not solve the problem of delays.
What’s more, CoE has removed all unfunded positions from the staff complement requirements so we are set to be short-staffed for longer.
Street lights are out all over town, despite constant notification, but the Alberton lighting project, which was on the 2018/19 capital budget, was not implemented.
Funds for this were reallocated to other capital projects, thus Alberton lighting is still a disaster.
Recently, after a spate of electricity outages, we, the Alberton councillors, organised a public meeting attended by the HOD of electricity, the MMC of the Water, Sanitation and Energy, and the customer relations manager, as well as various officials from the energy department, to get answers for our residents.
Promises were made that this would not happen again and that information and updates would be provided regularly.
However, the residents are still awaiting the implementation of these promises, despite our efforts to hold the MMC and the departments to account.
We will not stop pressuring the City to deliver on its mandate of basic service delivery.
Alderman Bruna Haipel
