TSHWANE RESIDENTS ASK JACQUI UYS TO CONSIDER THEIR CONCERNS IN HER BUDGET SPEECH

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By Dimakatso Modipa

City of Tshwane officials fixing a cable faults in Nellmapius

MMC for Finance in the City of Tshwane Jacqui Uys will deliver the Metro’s budget speech on Tuesday and various residents of Tshwane have implored her to consider their concerns.

Mariam Nkabinde of Ward 17 appealed to Uys to make funds available for the supply of water in the ward and the rehabilitation of Tsamaya Road which leads to cars and residents being stuck.

Ngwako Kobola, who has been a resident of Skierlik since September 2015 told Tshwane Talks that all they need as residents is running water, flushing toilets and tarred roads.

“We are tired of drinking dirty water and using dysfunctional toilets,” he said.

“All that we are asking for is that our roads be tarred because existing ones have potholes and our streets get flooded in Mabopane Block U and Ga-Rankuwa and rain water floods into our yards and even into our houses,” said resident PW Seemane.

Another resident, who requested to remain anonymous, told Tshwane Talks that the City of Tshwane municipality must deliver the following: 1. Infrastructure development in Block B, Mabopane.

2.Street lights.

3. Storm water drainages.

4. Renovation of Odi Stadium.

5.Maintenance of the Mabopane graveyard.

A resident known as Patience said: “What I need as a citizen is that our government should prioritise giving us land instead of RDP houses,” she said.

“The funds used for purchasing building material for RDP houses can be used to allocate more land for other people to build their own houses,” she said.

“Instead of a small number of people being accommodated in small RDP houses, residents must be allocated more land to build their own houses and this will reduce the large number of squatter camps and unhealthy living conditions countrywide,” she said.

She said she was presently living in a shack as a tenant and can’t do any renovations but that if she had ownership to the land given to her by the municipality then she would be able to build a better shelter for herself and family.

Lesego Sithole of Block U in Mabopane told Tshwane Talks that he would like to see tarred roads next to Dr Moreosele road.

Jackie Mawela from Hammanskraal implored the City of Tshwane municipality to prioritise salary increases for its employees.

Mawela says the City of Tshwane must reduce its outsourcing strategy and hire workers permanently.

He also called upon the City to come up with a plan to address the plight of those living under tribal land, formalised undeveloped areas that are under the City of Tshwane and buy landfills to reduce illegal dumping.

ML Mashego who is a resident of Mahube Valley raised concern about the absence of Metro Police officers to enforce by-laws regarding illegal dumping and the continued illegal usage of water by car wash owners, which leads to low water pressure for local residents who pay for the water that is consumed by car wash owners.

Sinah Kgaphola of Phase 2 in Mamelodi East said she is staying in a wetland, which at times is full of dust from the quarry of the mine.

Bradley Nuoni, a resident of Mamelodi would like to see reduced crime and an end to sounds of gunfire around the Mams Mall area.

Nyoni would also like to see a cleaner environment in Mamelodi with dirt dumped on the Tsamaya Road being removed.

Zonal secretary of Sanco Hammanskraal Jeffrey Nyathikazi told Tshwane Talks that residents of Hammanskraal will be happy if they can get a budget for the following:

  1. Electricity power failure coupled with loadshedding and reduction.
  2. Malfunction of road transport department in region 2.
  3. Lack of maintenance resources…. yellow plant.
  4. Lack of infrastructure developed affected by Pro white budget of Tshwane municipality.
  5. Lack of unattended parks.
  6. Road and storm water throughout Hammanskraal.
  7. Surfacing and regravelling of inner roads.
  8. Water crisis in Hammanskraal.
  9. Formalization in Marokolong and other areas in Hammanskraal.
  10. Potholes.
  11. Street lights and Apolo lights.
  12. Unattended grave site.

Mawiga SANCO Regional Secretary Thami Mokwena complained about the high rate of crime in Ga-Rankuwa, the small local stadium which can’t even accommodate 50 people and has no flashlights at all.

Mokwena also raised concerns regarding the municipality’s high and faulty billing system.

Residents who requested to remain anonymous, said the city failed to budget for streetlights for the past 2 years, without streetlights crime is increasing in our townships.

We have escalated this issue with MAYCO to at least have a maintenance budget for streetlights as it is one of the low hanging fruits.

The roads and other service delivery challenges are still outstanding as there is no attempt to prioritise our townships.

Sbongile of Bathobothe shelter for victims of gender-based violence said the Municipality must come up with a budget to prioritise NPOs which deal with gender-based violence and also requested a place of safety to cater for gender+based victims.

“The place I am talking about must not just be a place where victims eat and sleep but must be a place of victim empowerment where victims will be turned into survivors and be able to stand for themselves and not go back and depend on the people who victimized them,” she said.

SANCO Mamelodi Zonal chairperson Joseph Kgathle told Tshwane Talks that we want budget for streetlights, enroute in all areas from Mamelodi west to Mamelodi Far east, waste management and illegal dumping.

“We want the city to allocate money for it to be dealt with immediately effect and high billing system that need to be rectify and (POP) to be launch and informal settlement to be formalise and relocations plan,” said Kgathle.

Social worker Sibongile Nkosi told Tshwane Talks that the city must have a budget to go to the organisations especially NPO’s that deals with gender base violence.

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