Service delivery verges on pitiful

Ntuli informed him that the project was deemed “one of the emergency matters to be prioritised by the city, therefore, it has been classified as part of section 36 (jobs deemed urgent), to be effected immediately”.

Ntuli said work would commence this month and end in March.

This decision followed several meetings with Ntuli’s senior managers, supply chain management unit and business support unit, at which the issue of co-operative allocations (hiring non-department workers to do the job) had beendiscussed.

Singh said the last verge cutting had been done before June.

“We are hoping that all the work as promised is delivered on time, although this could have been done much sooner using section 36.

“This is gross negligence of duty by city officials. It is sad that ratepayers continue to be charged rates without (receiving) essential service delivery. There is now an additional financial burden to cut and clear verges, which will come out of their own pockets. Only time will tell if the work is actually done,” added Singh.

A resident of Stardust Avenue, Stan Moodley, said he had tried for months to get the city and Singh to intervene, but had to take matters into his own hands.

“We got so frustrated at the lack of initiative shown by city role players that we decided to hire someone to cut the verges. What are we paying rates for if we cannot live in a clean environment and our basic services are not addressed?” he asked.

Head of communications for eThekwini Municipality, Tozi Mthethwa, said the grass cutting of unmaintained verges and the clearing of weeds on hardened surfaces and gutters had started this week. She said the city regretted the inconvenience caused.

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