Early this week we reported on a huge pothole that residents were swimming in at the weekend after it had rained in Evaton, under the Emfuleni local municipality.
People were appalled by the pictures of adults and children swimming in the pit that surfaced on social media.
Residents said the pothole started forming in 2017 and it was reported to municipal officials but nothing was done.
Community member Godfrey Mofokeng said they fill the pothole with sand but this had not worked, as it had grown over the years into the “dam” it is now. He said when it rained it got filled with water and locals had decided to swim in it.
Another resident, Solly Lesese, decried the lack of service delivery in the area, as the pothole was part of a bigger problem.
However, municipality spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni said they did not know about the pothole and promised to inform the roads department so that it could be repaired.
It is shocking and worrying that the pit has been around for about four years now but the people responsible for fixing such had no idea it was there. Where was the ward councillor who should have reported this?
It is part of ward councillors' responsibilities to ensure issues such as potholes and faulty streets lights are reported to relevant authorities and attended to.
Emfuleni was placed under administration in 2018 after it collapsed due the debt it owned service providers.
In February, we reported in detail how residents and business owners in the area had faced constant electricity cuts, uncollected rubbish and roads that are riddled with potholes. The municipality owed billions of rand to Eskom and Rand Water while scores of other companies it did business with have also not been paid.
As we approach the 2021 local government elections, it is time for residents in the municipality to choose a party they believe will be able to deliver services to them. That would ensure ward councillors report all problems in all sections of the township and ensure they are fixed.
Go through the manifestos and interrogate campaigning politicians on how they plan to fix your town's problems. And choose accordingly. The future of your municipality is now in your hands.
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