Clean up dirty city, Mr Jordaan

DEAR Mr Jordaan,

Congratulations to you on your appointment and my best wishes to you as you tackle your new responsibilities.

I live in Schoenmakerskop and visiting friends on Sunday afternoon took me on a circular drive into 10th Avenue, Walmer, turning into Villiers Road, down to Marine Drive next the beach, then along Marine Drive past the Willows back to Schoenies. Driving along it occurred to me that the first thing you, as the new mayor, would want to do would be to clean up the house you are now in charge of.

I would not for one moment presume you would be comfortable operating in a dirty, filthy home. If you had been in the car with me on Sunday you would have noticed:

• The cattle indiscriminately browsing next to and on Victoria Drive – a major traffic hazard which will soon be the cause of fatal accidents;

• You would also have been very perturbed at all the dogs running wild in packs;

• The litter and rubbish dumped indiscriminately next to the Walmer Golf Club entrance and all along Walmer Township would have made you ashamed, especially if you had had visitors with you. You would have been appalled at the mess!

• Then turning into Villiers Road and down to the beachfront you would have wondered why not a single traffic official was to be seen, neither through town or in Marine Drive. You would, like me, have wondered whether we still had traffic officials in Port Elizabeth or were the few we have commandeered only to accompany visiting government officials;

• You would have wondered if our taxis owned the roads;

• The beachfront, particularly as you pass the turnoff to Admiralty Way, was disgusting. Vehicles parked on the verge, braais in full swing and from the actions of the people, much drinking and partying was taking place.

The litter was worse than a pig sty. Ironically all this was taking place right under prominent signs saying that these were zero tolerance areas!

Again you would have been shocked to see not a single municipal officer in sight; • The rest. Well Mr Jordaan, may I suggest this is but a sample survey of the whole of Port Elizabeth, but indicative of the mess we are generally in.

You are on record saying you are nobody’s yes man and not spineless as all your predecessors were. I would therefore imagine had you accompanied me on Sunday you would have had the officials responsible for stray animals, traffic, beachfront, etc on the carpet in your office the next morning.

These are just a few of the many problems facing us in our beloved Port Elizabeth but if we cannot fix these small “housekeeping” things, how the devil will we manage the major issues such as the appalling bus saga, corruption, etc? We need to urgently clean the house we live in!

You have an enviable track record, Mr Jordaan, and may I say come as a breath of fresh air. I, for one, look forward to seeing you in action!

“Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves” – Vladimir Putin.