One of the Community Activist and Deputy Chairperson of the Ekurhuleni Service Delivery forum (ESDF) who resides Palm Ridge (Ward 58) Ext 3 Uxolo Street, Bongani Mlotshwa who represents the community, outlined the communities’ displeasures and worries about an incomplete park that is not safeguarded.
Ekurhuleni news seized the opportunity to interview the representative of the community on the 1st of September 2020 who vividly shared, saying that, “Children are already using and damaging the erected equipment within the incomplete park and they are playing around with the material which is supposed to be used in finishing up the park, there’s disconnected pipes which are discharging water, we tried to guard the park with my fellow community members, before i engaged with the managers who are part of the construction project and the community committee before the lockdown period concerning the issue and fortunately I was referred to Lisa, one of the project managers who promised to resolve the matter and she said the construction work was going to resume by June this year,” ESDF Deputy Chairperson, Bongani Mlotshwa Disclosed.
He elaborated further saying, “Even today the park is not safeguarded by securities or caretakers and the construction work has not resumed and it’s been motionless for a year now, this unfinished Park poses a threat to the community because unlawful activities might spiral out of control because of it, as children are going there in masses,” Mlotshwa sentimentally expressed.
However the City of Ekurhuleni’s spokesperson Themba Gadebe responded by saying, “The construction activities have been stagnant since the national lockdown commenced on the 26th of March 2020. The appointed contractor is currently having a financial setback; due to the contractors’ financial setback the park cannot be safeguarded, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has been appointed as the implementing agent and a letter has been issued to the DBSA and CoE awaits feedback, this matter has not been reported and it will be investigated,” Gadebe concluded.
By: Matampane Raymond Mokwena
