Overgrown grass, clogged rivers and unkempt bushes have sparked an outcry from residents of Grove-End, Phoenix. Residents expressed their concerns regarding the unmaintained area, stating that the overgrowth is harbouring vagrants and criminals within the community.
Speaking to The Phoenix Tabloid, irate resident, Nadir Nirmal, of Sledge Grove, Grove End, Phoenix claimed that issues in the area receive no attention from the ward councillor. “Our rivers are clogged, the grass is overgrown, the bushes are unkept and are being used as a hideout by criminals. We have been trying to get the Ward councillor to attend to these issues with no success. She is not interested in her ward or the concerns of the residents.
“We recently went to her offices at the Phoenix Square, and were told that she had relocated but no one knew where she relocated to. She should have informed residents about the move to another office but never bothered to do so which is unacceptable from a councillor. Being a councillor starts way before the elections but Phoenix councillors are only there for the people during election time and we never see them after that,” said Nirmal.
Another disgruntled resident, Priseilla Pillay said: “We no longer feel safe within our own homes, vagrants are always waking up and down the vicinity and have even created a pathway not far from our properties. The bush is terrible and criminals use it as a hideout after stealing copper pipes and our personal belongings from our yards. “We have to keep our doors closed 24/7 or we will have snakes and rats coming inside our homes. We have been complaining about this for far too long and want these issues to be attended to urgently, so we can be able to live without fear of criminal elements,” said Pillay.
However, Lyndal Singh, the Ward 50 councillor refuted the resident’s claims. She said that parks-related issues affected residents across the eThekwini Municipality and not only Ward 50. “Every query received by myself from residents is sent to the department. It’s disappointing that when municipality does not provide proper service delivery, the councillors are blamed, yet councillors are efficient in informing the relevant department,” said Singh.
“With regards to my office, I was given notice by municipality to leave the office on 27 January, so prior to that there has always been a fully functional office. This was due to the fact that the landlord had not met due process according to the documents that were required by municipality. Although there’s been inconvenience caused over this past month, I want to inform residents that as soon as an office is secured by municipality, I will inform them via a media article. This is currently in the process,” she said.
Singh added that her “commitment and dedication” in serving the community was ongoing and if residents required her assistance, they could contact or WhatsApp her on 072-324-6106, or email: cllrlyndalsingh@gmail.com.
Residents are urged to report all service delivery issues directly to the municipality. When reporting the problem make sure that you get a reference number for future reference so that you can update the ward councillor and get them to follow up. The eThekwini Municipality number is 080-311-11-11 or call the following illegal dumping 031-311-8804; potholes, stormwater, burst pipes, sewer 080-131-3013 or email sizakala@durban.gov.za for complaints and queries.
