Kevin Ostermeyer, Virginia:
I want to reiterate that the entire ward 8 (Virginia) is rife with potholes and despite me sending WhatsApp messages to the director of infrastructure and the municipal manager, my messages are never read.
The tyres of motorists that must brave these very deep potholes are being extensively damaged and must be replaced or repaired at own cost.
Furthermore, Van der Stel Avenue in Glen Harmony, where a private contractor attended to the sewerage problem 18 months ago and had to excavate certain sections of the tar road, has to date not been repaired by the municipality.
This road is starting to develop additional sinkholes, which is exacerbated by the fact that there is not a single street light that is operational throughout the entire ward 8. Bracing these roads at night is extremely dangerous.
The situation at 28 Mimosa Road has not changed at all regarding the sewage spillages that engulf the entire perimeter of the house. The residents of this house suffer from chronic asthma and enteric fever, a potentially life-threatening infection. This includes typhoid fever (caused by the bacterium Salmonella Typhi) and paratyphoid fever (caused by the bacterium Salmonella Paratyphoid A, B and C). These bacteria only infect humans, and humans are the only reservoirs. Transmission of the infection is by the faecal-oral route (through ingesting food or water that has been contaminated with faeces of an infected person).
This family has already lost a family member as a direct result of the pathogens emitted from the spillages and succumbed to illness three months later.
The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), Human Rights Commission (HRC) and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), along with myself, had a site meeting at the address 18 months ago, where a delegation of members of the Speaker’s Office at the Matjhabeng Local Municipality was present and placed on very strict terms which are not being upheld.
Ward 8 is in a “filthy condition” where illegal dumping is at the order of the day. To this end, the uncut grass is set alight and the electrical substation in Nobel Street in Saaiplaas caught fire, causing extensive damage to the substation.
Additionally, there is a car wash being operated from the old bus stop in Verulam Road, Glen Harmony, where an illegal water connection has been made. Despite me continuously drawing this to the attention of the chief security officer (CSO) of Asset Protection, she never reverts back to me. This car wash is causing tremendous inconvenience in the area as many teenagers gather there and play loud music all day long.
The opening of tuck shops in the residential garages in Glen Harmony is the order of the day. There are no permits for these businesses, and no by-laws are being upheld.
Residents are also taking the liberty of erecting boarding houses on their premises without any approved building plans.
At a residence in Verona Road, Glen Harmony, extensive building has taken place with illegal electrical connections that have been by-passed. I have engaged with the building inspector, Patrick Masenkane, who has never reverted to me with any constructive feedback regarding the intolerable situation at this address. The illegal construction there has not been halted.
