Residents living in the railway houses on Patterson Street say that they are at their wits’ end with service delivery.
Vickesh and Mala Singh have been living in this tight-knit community for 15 years and have formed a close bond with the neighbours who share the same sentiments of living in a “pig stye”.
Vickesh Singh said: “I have contacted the municipality on numerous occasions only to be told that our issues will be seen to. Months later we are still waiting.”
Among the residents’ concerns is the long grass in front of the houses. “The grass is a perfect hiding spot for snakes. Within the last three to four weeks we have encountered about five snakes, one of them being in front of my neighbour’s kitchen door. The snakes are venomous night adders and spitting cobras. If the grass can just be cut we will not have this problem. We are pleading with the Municipality to please respond to this matter,” said Singh.
Another issue is the bush next to the houses. “Prostitutes come and do their business in these bushes. We find condom papers lying around and they are out and about at night.
“There are also little children in this area and they are being exposed to such things,” he said.
Another resident, Lucy Sander, said that their windows remained in disrepair after a hailstorm wreaked havoc in Newcastle two years ago, with extensive damage to the houses and infrastructure.
“I had no idea that there was a relief fund to help with the broken windows. We are forgotten about on this side of Newcastle,” said Sander.
Other issues include the street lights that are not working, the refuse truck that does not collect rubbish regularly and the overall unkemptness of the community.
One of the residents speculates that because they live in a small community that is predominantly White and elderly, they were being overlooked. “At the end of the day we just want a safe and clean place to live, just like everybody else,” said Singh.
Fairleigh residents uttered the same sentiments of being forgotten. An angry resident claimed that several complaints to the municipality have fallen on deaf ears.
“I have been waiting for over a month for my reference number. I laid a complaint about street lights not working. I am still waiting,” said the resident who did not want to be named.
A major issue in Fairleigh is a big vacant plot that has turned into a bush and is a breeding ground for criminals. Residents claim that there have been too many muggings of people who walk by. They have been hit and robbed of their belongings.
An elderly lady who stays next to this bush says that the danger of snakes lurking is an everyday issue. “I have seen snakes in my yard often, what happens if we get bitten and die? Then it will be too late for the municipality to do anything,” she said.
Then there is the issue of a sewage leak and children having to walk through the pathway on their way home from school.
“The children knock off from school and make a trek twice a day through this unhygienic stink. The pathway stinks all the way into our houses. The children then can carry diseases on their shoes or what if they fall and ingest the sewage. We are the forgotten people here. Nobody cares about us. We want answers as to why. Surely we also have the right to live in a clean environment,” she said.
The Newcastle Municipality was contacted for comment, however they did not respond at the time of going to press.
