Resident has his say on city

Morningside resident, Peter Turner writes:

After living and paying rates in Sandton for more than 40 years and being witness to the steady decline in the quality of both infrastructure and services, I have become irritated by the continual use of the slogan ‘Joburg, a world class African city’.

While I am happy to concede that Johannesburg does have some world class elements, sadly, these pale into insignificance against those elements that are rapidly transforming Joburg into just another African city. A while ago I listened to the State of our City address by Mayor Parks Tau and was impressed with all the future plans to make this city a better place, but it seems to me that the very basic elements that make a city livable and world class are being badly neglected.

The points below lead me to believe that the slogan used is more than just hopeful, it is downright misleading.

• Potholes are everywhere along our crumbling road infrastructure. They are often difficult to avoid and cause damage to tyres, wheel rims and vehicle suspension.

• Pavements in many places are either overgrown with vegetation or are breaking up and near impossible to walk on.

• Litter is everywhere in our city and it seems the City Council does not think it necessary to apportion some of the ratepayers’ money to pick it up.

• The city council’s cleaning levies seem to be used to collect only refuse, and even that is done erratically.

• Instead of wasting ratepayers’ money on pamphlets that give misleading information, the money should be spent on creating jobs for street cleaners.

• Dumping of building rubble and rubbish is evident alongside many roads in the suburbs including main arterials such as William Nicol and Marlboro Drive.

We live in an African city but wouldn’t it be wonderful if it was world class?