Latest news with #CenturionMatters
The Citizen
08-07-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Push for better service delivery in Centurion
The Tshwane metro is working to improve the quality and consistency of service delivery in Centurion with a range of targeted maintenance efforts and long-term structural reforms. This is according to MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, who recently outlined the metro's ongoing initiatives in Region 4, where several areas are currently benefiting from a range of daily maintenance operations. She said streetlight maintenance was completed in wards 69, 78, 65, 48, 57, 61, and 64 between June 30 and July 5. 'Areas that received attention during this period include Eldoraigne, Zwartkop, Highveld, Lyttelton, Erasmia, Laudium, Rooihuiskraal, and The Reeds,' said Morodi. Dear residents of Centurion we are happy to announce that after many years of the failed Da Tshwane administration our Centurion R55 street lights are on . We continue to correct the Da 8 years mess #EFFinGovernment — Obakeng COT MMC Environmental Agriculture . (@RamaboduObakeng) July 2, 2025 'At the same time, stormwater infrastructure was serviced in wards 61, 77, 57, and 70, covering locations such as Laudium, Olievenhoutbosch, Sunderland Ridge, Wierdapark, and Lyttelton.' Morodi said grass cutting was conducted between July 1 and 4 in wards 57, 65, 64, 61, and 69, including Die Hoewes, Highveld, Laudium, Rooihuiskraal, and Eldoraigne. Just received work that @CityTshwane Region 4 Urban Management team is cutting grass at Lenchen and Magiel Street, Hennopspark today. Thank you for logging the call🙏🏼 — Henriette Frohlich (@henriettefroh) June 30, 2025 'Tree pruning took place in Pierre van Ryneveld, Wierdapark, The Reeds, and Eldoraigne, that fall within wards 70, 64, 69, and 79.' Thank you, @CityTshwane Region 4 Urban Management Team for trimming trees that were touching overhead wires at Villagers Lane, Irene. #CenturionMatters — Henriette Frohlich (@henriettefroh) June 23, 2025 She added that these functions form part of daily operations in the metro and are not tied to a fixed project timeline. 'Maintenance work takes place every day and includes potholes, tree pruning, grass cutting, stormwater, and streetlights. 'Our goal is to ensure equitable service delivery to all areas without prejudice,' she said. To strengthen internal capacity and reduce reliance on private contractors, Morodi confirmed that on June 3, the metro has acquired additional cherry pickers, as part of its plan to purchase 100 in total. Good morning Tshwane. We've have just unveiled 14 Cherry Pickers that will be distributed to our regional teams to enhance service delivery. This first batch of 14 vehicles forms part 100 that we expect in this financial year. For years, our workforce has grappled with a shortage… — Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) June 3, 2025 'The cherry pickers are a vital part of improving electricity and streetlight repairs, while also supporting functions such as tree pruning. It's part of a broader strategy to enhance in-house capability and cut unnecessary costs,' she said. The metro has also refurbished and reopened the Pretorius Park Depot, which will now focus on servicing water, sanitation, and electricity vehicles. 'The depot, previously shut due to a shift toward outsourcing, now boasts modern technology that can identify driver negligence and ensure accountability through improved supervision. 'This is a key move toward ensuring quicker response times and better control over municipal resources,' Morodi added. She added that to further support parks and horticultural services, the metro recently allocated R11-million to procure tools and equipment across all seven regions. She said the metro has started purchasing a total of 687 various tools and equipment, such as ride-on rotary mowers, mechanical hedge pruners, chainsaws, brush cutters, and pole pruners. Good morning Tshwane. Today, we are arming our workforce with tools of the trade. We are handing over handover the first batch of over 450 pieces of horticultural equipment to further accelerate service delivery throughout our city. This equipment will be distributed across our 7… — Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) July 2, 2025 In Olievenhoutbosch, resident Sizakhele Skhosana said she was pleased to see recent repairs to streetlights near the clinic on Legong Street. 'Walking in the early morning darkness was a daily reality for many of us. I had to take my children to the clinic before sunrise, and it was terrifying.' She recalled instances where she had to hold her breath and walk fast every time she heard footsteps behind her. 'Since the lights were fixed, things have changed. I finally feel safe on those streets. It's a big relief, and I hope the city keeps it up,' said Skhosana. Ward 106 Councillor, Kenneth Masha, confirmed the repairs and said he was informed ahead of the work on both Legong and Rethabile streets, and this allowed him to monitor progress. However, he expressed concern over communication gaps with city officials. 'Some maintenance work is well executed, but too often the teams don't inform us. That makes it hard to track what's been done and to give accurate feedback to residents. 'I understand the MMC acts on input from the regional councillors' forum, and I can't fault her for that, but the ground-level teams must improve their coordination with councillors.' In Valhalla, resident Isaiah Le Roux said he's noticed improvements, but believes the metro still has work to do. 'It's clear the metro is trying, and we appreciate the effort, but we need better communication. We often don't know what's happening until it's already done, or until we notice something hasn't been fixed.' Councillors from other wards shared concerns about inconsistent delivery. Ward 69 Councillor Cindy Billson said some backfilling had been completed, but other work was done poorly. 'Streetlight maintenance in June focused mostly on Ward 70, not ours. I've approved two community projects where residents will handle their own streetlight installations, and we're planning a larger one for the ward,' she said. In her update to residents on her June 2025 Region 4 report, Billson mentioned that 49 out of 99 pothole repair requests in Ward 69 had been addressed and completed, but that five service trenches remain open. 'On electricity, the number of abnormal feeder cables has dropped from 107 in October 2023 to 41 in May 2025.' Billson added that vandalism of substations continues to contribute to power outages. 'Water service performance has been more positive, with 87 out of 103 complaints resolved in May, and all 30 wastewater complaints fully addressed.' Ward 70 Councillor Marika Kruger Muller criticised the current process for streetlight maintenance prioritisation. 'Councillors are asked to pick three or four streets for repairs, which I believe is unfair. That system ignores long-standing complaints and opens the door to favouritism. 'I also receive complaints about unresolved issues that are marked as fixed, and that's very worrying.' Ward 64 Councillor Alta de Kock said with the recent maintenance work, little impact was felt in her ward. 'Only one block had grass cut. Streetlights are still a major concern, and cable theft is another huge issue. One of the traffic lights has been out for more than a week. Substation security is a priority right now.' Ward 57 Councillor David Farquharson said some parks had been maintained well and a few streetlights fixed, but overall progress has been slow. 'There's a major reorganisation underway to split water and electricity into separate departments under a regional operations centre. 'That could be positive, but right now water repairs are taking too long, and that's concerning.' Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
14-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Lyttelton Manor sinkhole sparks panic
Residents are living in fear near the newly formed sinkhole at the intersection of Langebrink Road and Burger Avenue as the potential growth of the hole continues to pose a risk to their safety. Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo recently confirmed that the metro is aware of the sinkhole in the area, which formed on May 9. He said the sinkhole currently measures about 40m in diameter and 3.5m in depth. 'The sinkhole remains unstable and active, and therefore, the area has been cordoned off,' Mashigo said. 'Both Burger and Langebrink are closed to all traffic until further notice.' While the exact cause of the sinkhole is still under investigation, Mashigo noted that the city will provide updates as more information becomes available. For residents, the collapse of the ground is just the latest in a string of worsening infrastructure problems. A resident who lives near the newly formed sinkhole, André van der Walt, said the deterioration of infrastructure in the area may be linked to poor maintenance. 'I have lived in Lyttelton for many years, and in the past, we had no or minimal sinkholes,' he said. He said if the ongoing sinkhole formation is due to inadequate maintenance of the underground water pipe infrastructure, urgent action is required. 'If not, all our property values will be destroyed if they are not already severely affected.' Van der Walt stressed that residents are ratepayers and deserve better municipal service delivery. Another resident, Leon Meyers, expressed deep concern. 'This is the second sinkhole in the area, and it feels like the ground beneath our homes could collapse at any moment.' Meyers said his family is constantly worried that their home might one day sink below the ground. 'We are always stressed, especially at night when we hear unusual sounds. 'We live with anxiety every day, wondering what might happen next.' The newly formed sinkhole has prompted renewed calls for the area to be declared a national disaster zone. Earlier this year, two other holes opened up in Lyttelton Manor, one on DF Malan Avenue on February 18 and another on the corner of Trichardt and Van Riebeeck streets on February 22. During a media briefing at the site on May 13, MMC for Corporate and Shared Services Kholofelo Morodi said the metro is under immense strain, with 63 sinkholes recorded across Centurion. Region 4 Political Head MMC @kholofeloMorodi & MEC Infrastructure and Development (DID) and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Jacob Mamabolo address the media during their visit of sinkholes in Centurion. #CenturionMatters — Henriette Frohlich (@henriettefroh) May 12, 2025 'There are a lot of factors at play. We've tried to make life a little more comfortable for residents by cordoning off the sinkholes and ensuring access to water and electricity,' she said. Morodi highlighted the scale of the financial burden. 'When we had 55 sinkholes, we estimated a need for R250-million. That cost has gone up because we're now at sinkhole number 63.' [IN PICTURES] : We are now at Lyttelton Centurion examining more sinkholes. #GrowingGautengTogether — CoGTA (@GDCoGTA) May 12, 2025 [IN PICTURES] : MEC Jacob Mamabolo is getting a briefing on the cause of the sinkholes in Centurion. The MEC is joined by the Head of @GautengPDMC , Mr Tshepo Motlhale. #GrowingGautengTogether — CoGTA (@GDCoGTA) May 10, 2025 She attributed much of the crisis to ageing infrastructure. 'This is an old town. The infrastructure is dilapidated, and the pipes are old and worn out. The biggest issue in this area is water leaks caused by those pipes.' According to Morodi, the city's previous underinvestment worsened the situation. 'In the past, Tshwane was only spending 2% of the budget on infrastructure, which is far below Treasury's recommendations,' said Morodi. 'This is something the current administration is working to change.' She said the metro is now working closely with provincial and national governments to secure disaster classification and additional funds. Region 4 Political Head MMC @kholofeloMorodi, MMC Community Safety Hannes Coetzee & MMC Economic Dev & Spatial Planning have joined MEC Infrastructure and Development (DID) and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) to assess the top sinkholes in Centurion today.… — Henriette Frohlich (@henriettefroh) May 12, 2025 'The Provincial Disaster Management Centre is assisting us in getting this declared a disaster by the national government because we need substantial funding.' Ward 57 Councillor David Farquharson, who also visited the site on May 13, said provincial officials have now seen the severity for themselves. Farquharson confirmed that repairs to a damaged flange on one of the leaking pipes were ongoing, and the issue has been escalated. 'All 63 sinkholes were brought to the attention of the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo.' He added that he will update residents on any developments. Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) councillor Wesley Jacobs provided detailed insight into the state of the infrastructure and efforts to stabilise the situation. According to Jacobs, there were at least three problematic water pipes in the vicinity. 'There was an initial blue pipe along Burger Avenue North that had been leaking. That was part of the Rand Water main line and has since been repaired,' Jacobs explained. He noted that another pipe, the water tower feed line, had been leaking due to a damaged flange. He added that a previously underperforming feeder pipe was upgraded from 32mm to 50mm to improve water pressure in the area. 'This change directly impacts the water pressure on Burger Avenue North, as it is proportional to the amount of water consumed at the other end.' Jacobs said while residents are not assured of having high pressure at all times, they do have drinkable water. 'If you shower during off-peak times, you will receive full pressure.' Over the weekend, Jacobs provided residents with water tankers after pressure dropped significantly. 'I drove to fetch the tankers to assist residents on Burger Avenue,' he said. 'Water supply has now been restored, though some of the emergency-installed pipes may not meet our usual standards.' Jacobs also addressed safety concerns. 'We created an alternative route on Burger Avenue North with appropriate signage and assessed the road's foundation through excavation work.' Jacobs explained that the geologist and officials who were on-site were satisfied with the integrity of the area. 'Water barriers are currently put in place to safeguard the area; however, a fence will be installed to keep people away from the sinkhole.' Electricity in the area, which had also been affected, was restored on May 10. 'Teams worked from as early as 03:00, and we completed the main restoration by 06:00,' Jacobs added. 'The community also helped by providing food and drinks to our teams who had been working nonstop.' Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
