City of Tshwane Deputy Mayor Eugene Modise was on a working assignment in Mamelodi on Saturday morning.
Modise took part in unblocking a sewage at one house in Mamelodi East and also fixing water pipes at another house, also in Mamelodi East.
He was joined by MMC for Economic Development and Spatial Planning Sarah Mabotsa, Environment and Agriculture Management Obakeng Ramabodu, Housing and Human Settlements Aaron Maluleka, Roads and Transport Tlangi Mogale, Deputy chief whip of councillors Collen Marishane, chairperson of petition committee Ananius Mogalusi, different ward councillors from Mamelodi and officials.
Deputy mayor started at the ward 18 where he helped fixing water pipe and moved to ward 15 to helped fix block sewage.
He also engages the community o Mamelodi about service delivery issues.
According to the Deputy Mayor, his working assignment is part of the Intensive Festive Season Service Delivery Programme aimed at bringing services to the residents of Tshwane despite the fact that this is festive prriod.
“First we unblocked a sewage which had been blocked by storm water that had dragged dirt into it and we are disappointed that in the blocked sewage we also found items like tyres and pampers and this is very wrong, so we went door to door and educated residents that there are some items which belong to the rubbish bin and must not be thrown into the sewage system,” lamented Modise.
House-owner Edgar Vukela of Extension 5, at whose house the sewage was unblocked, told Tshwane Talks that the sewage blocked on Christmas Day around 10 am and that he reported the matter on the selfsame day.
“I phoned the City of Tshwane thrice on Christmas Day, then on the 26, 27 and 28 December but no one came to my rescue, but be that as it may, I am happy that finally the Deputy Mayor has come to my house himself to fix the blocked sewage,” said an elated Vukela.
“We also tackled the issue of illegal dumping and informed residents that instead of dumping their litter anywhere, they must simply put their litter in plastic bags and put them at nearby street corners whereby they will be collected by the municipality’s litter trucks on designated days” he said.
Modise announced that the City of Tshwane will soon embark upon a community outreach programme whereby they will inform residents about the risk posed by litter to the health of residents in general and to children in particular.
According to Modise, an individual found to be littering would be fined an amount of R5000 and he urged residents to take pictures of those who litter so that they can face the might of the law.
“We also found expired, illegal goods at some spaza shops and at one spaza shop the owner refused to come and meet us after we phoned him to come and explain lack of compliance at his spaza shop,” said Modise.
“At another spaza shop the owners literally ran away when they saw us coming, so we are going to break in and take videos so as to ascertain what it is that is inside the shop,” explained Modise.
He told Tshwane Talks that the Department of Home Affairs has also been contacted so as to help the City of Tshwane Municipality to verify the real identities of the foreign spaza shop owners who ran away.
He expressed disappointment that at one spaza shop a lady house-owner gave her own Identity Document to a foreigner to use it in registering his spaza shop.
“This is dangerous because when we come back at a later stage to condemn the building or make arrests due to non-compliance the lady house-owner is the one who will face the music and go to jail because the spaza shop has been registered in her name,” explained the Deputy Mayor.
Deputy Mayor Modise announces that on the 08 January 2025 those wishing to apply for the Poorest of the Poor (POP) must come to the municipal offices whereby he will also be helping out in making sure that they get help.
He also announced that those seeking title deeds must use the free services of lawyers working in the Deeds Office.
“I’m so happy to see the deputy mayor again in our township and it is shown that he has kept his promised by coming back again and checking on the service delivery,” said residents Anna Sebolela.
“I see this new administration they mean business and they are hard at work and keeping their promise to the people of Tshwane and I’m happy about the service delivery that I’m getting so far and which men more is still coming,” Rosinah Seema.
“Deputy mayor is the people’s hope in getting service delivery right in the township and I know I will see more of him and service delivery will be on top notch,” Ellias Maletsha.