The Sol Plaatje Municipality in Kimberley has again come under fire from residents following complaints that workers leave premises in disarray after conducting repair work near or on household premises.
THE SOL Plaatje Municipality in Kimberley has again come under fire from residents following complaints that workers leave premises in disarray after conducting repair work near or on household premises.
A resident in President Mangope Street in Retswelele in Galeshewe, Botlhale Kgetsi, said he never imagined that reporting a burst water pipe in front of his house would end up in another headache for his family.
“I reported a burst water pipe earlier this month. The water was running down my street. The municipal workers attended to the problem the day after I reported it. They dug up a deep hole in front of my yard where the pipe was located and leaking from.
“My yard has paving in the front and municipal workers removed some of the paving. They attended to the matter, but left a mess after the work. There was a lot of mud and the paving that was removed was not put back again,” said Kgetsi.
He said he is not the only resident who had experienced this problem.
“It appears that this problem is becoming a trend in Galeshewe. There are several residents who have complained that the municipal workers tend to leave some of the repairs unattended or incomplete. The municipal workers leave it to the community to finish their work and this trend needs to be addressed. I have reported this to the councillor and the municipality but it appears as if nobody seems to care that our homes are left in a mess,” he said.
Another resident said her grandmother was left with a deep hole in her backyard after municipal workers were apparently supposed to install a manhole.
“Municipal workers went to my grandmother’s house in January this year and told her that they will install a manhole in her yard. They then dug a deep hole and promised that they would return to complete the work. However, until today, they have not returned yet.
“The hole is now filled with water and is a hazard as we have young children who go and visit my grandmother. We have to constantly watch the children. We have reported this matter several times to the municipality, but with no success. My grandmother is also elderly and it is unacceptable that she is now forced to live like this. It is also unacceptable that she is forced to run after the municipality and plead with them to do their work correctly,” she said.
Municipal spokesperson, Sello Matsie said they would attend to the problem.
“We acknowledge that our officials conduct repairs. Above all, safety is extremely important for these families as well as for our own employees. We will ensure the area is made safe. We would like to remind residents, especially those with paved areas, that the municipality has got legal authority to access all infrastructure for the purpose of repair.
“Once this is completed, usually a team is dispatched to restore the area, including the paving. However, this is only done once the area is stabilised. We regret the situation was not satisfactorily handled, but will definitely restore the situation,” said Matsie.
