The Tshwane Metro can no longer stand idly by and look on as service delivery deteriorates and infrastructure crumbles in Pretoria North.
Being stranded without electricity has become a daily occurrence. Residents experience electricity outages lasting hours almost every week, and often over weekends.
This power crisis puts enormous financial pressure on households and businesses that depend on reliable electricity supply.
The condition of roads in Pretoria North is equally alarming as nearly all the streets are riddled with potholes.
The road from the Rachel de Beer underpass, where one enters the northern part of the city, is in a terrible condition and residents are forced to use only one lane. This exacerbates traffic congestion, which already poses a serious problem due to the number of schools located directly along the route.
The intersection at Ben Viljoen and Rachel de Beer is also in a terrible condition. Not only is the intersection full of potholes, but a street light is also precariously hanging over the road.
While residents are urged to save water, the Metro loses thousands of litres of water every day due to hundreds of leaks.
These losses, coupled with power outages and deteriorating roads, indicate that the Metro is no longer able to maintain its basic infrastructure.
Residents have lost confidence in the Metro and some are choosing to relocate to areas where service delivery is better.
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) addressed a formal letter to the Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Aaron Maluleka, and the Mayor, Nasiphi Moya, asking why residents’ complaints are being ignored.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep pressuring the Metro until it takes responsibility and prioritises power supply, water management and road maintenance.
Residents deserve a metro that protects its infrastructure and prioritises service delivery.
On 4 November, residents have the opportunity to vote for the Freedom Front Plus, which puts proper service delivery and infrastructure maintenance first.
