Nature closes in on roads as city dithers
REGULAR rain in recent months has been a blessing, providing relief from the drought.
However, along the edges of Durban’s M4, overgrown bushes are encroaching on to the verges of the roads, posing a danger to pedestrians and motorists.
Street lights are also not working along some sections of the M4.
Numerous complaints about this have been received by City Watch. Similar complaints have also been raised by the residents in the western part of the city.
Residents said the city’s grass-cutting operations had not resumed since December.
Previously the M4 highway was owned and maintained by the provincial department of transport, but the city’s parks and recreation department took it over late last year.
This, though, does not appear to have resulted in the situation improving. Durban north motorist Morgan Moodley said the maintenance of the M4 had been an issue. Previously, when I lodged the complaints through our local ward councillor, I was told the city could not help because the road belonged to the Department of Transport. After parks and recreation took over, people had expected some improvement.
Umhlanga Ward Councillor Heinz de Boer said the city’s parks and recreation had started with grass cutting on some parts of the route after a resolution was passed in a full council sitting some time ago.
As the council had approved the take-over from the transport department, the city needed to tell people what progress was being made, he said.
Earlier this year, city spokesperson Tozi Mthethwa said the process of transferring the responsibility to the parks and recreation unit had caused operational delays, but that a long-term solution would soon be in place. Another city spokesperson, Mandla Nsele, said the handover was still being negotiated, therefore the M4 remained a provincial responsibility. However, he said the city’s own “grass-cutting cycle” was in full swing.
“Our parks, recreation and culture department has been visiting all areas.
“We have noticed that during rainy seasons the grass tends to grow faster in some areas,” said Nsele.
He said all of the complaints brought to the attention of the parks, recreation and culture unit had been referred to an area manager who had been tasked to investigate and remedy the matter accordingly.