Service delivery still found wanting

I HAVE lived in Port Elizabeth all my life. For the better part of 18 years I’ve lived in Newton Park.

I was on Retief Odendaal’s committee and on Dacre Haddon’s committee.

In my opinion, now that the DA has won the metro nothing seems to be done, well in Newton Park at any rate.

I have complained to our ward councillor about some sinkholes in Newton Park and met him at one sinkhole to show him.

I am referring to the one on the corner of Worraker Street and Fifth Avenue.

I met our councillor at this very spot more than two months ago to report this sinkhole in the road and the sinkhole is still not fixed.

Now I get no answer to any Whatsapp messages regarding this complaint.

It would appear that it’s no use even trying to contact our mayor to discuss service delivery issues as e-mails are ignored.

It appears that no political party is now capable of running the metro as only certain issues get addressed.

Problems only get fixed near the election times to impress the voters.

How does one actually get any services from the politicians?

We the voters put them there in the first place.

A person gets so upset when legitimate service-related issues like sweeping the streets, cleaning the neighbourhoods, mending potholes and fixing street lights do not get addressed.

If the DA is not capable or willing to address these basic services, which we are paying for, how can we trust it with other huge services?

Or do we just turn a blind eye to the sinkholes and drive around them or simply boycott the next elections altogether?

My big question to our mayor is: why are our libraries still closed on Saturdays?

What do the staff contracts say and why is this issue just being ignored?

Athol Trollip, how come other provinces’ libraries are open on Saturdays?

If the staff are not willing to work on Saturdays, find people who are.

In this modern day of the internet, it’s not a good thing that the libraries stay closed on a Saturday. They used to be open. There again a lack of basic services which we are paying for.

Do we as a nation stand together and boycott the next elections?

It’s sad that our voices are not being heard.

So much promise, now there seems to be so little promise for the metro. So sad. Not even our water crisis can be fixed.

Pauline Slater, Port Elizabeth

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