LOOK: The Pretoria suburb crumbling before residents' eyes
Residents claim that the city is turning a blind eye to their deteriorating suburb.
Leaking sewage, overgrown grass, burst pipes, dangerous potholes, and non-functioning streetlights have become the norm for residents of the eastern Pretoria suburb, Silverton.
According to Pretoria Rekord, Silverton residents have been struggling with poor service delivery, which has now led to crumbling infrastructure.
Speaking to Pretoria Rekord, Liezel Moller said that despite reporting water pipe bursts, sewage spillages, and potholes, the city has turned a blind eye.
"We do not have any service delivery in Silverton, yet we are rate-paying citizens," said Moller.
"The area is riddled with unattended pipe bursts, particularly on Jasmyn Avenue, Krige Street, Moreleta Street, and De Blvd."
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Moller added that residents fear a huge pothole on the corner of De Boulevard Street and Moreleta Street might develop into a sinkhole.
She also raised concerns about an open manhole at the corner of Brandwag and Krige streets, which was reported last year but has still not been closed.
"The once beautiful Silverton we grew up in is now in a severe state of decay, with the municipality turning a blind eye," she said.
Another concern is the poor state of the water infrastructure.
"The city should invest in water infrastructure instead of temporary repairs that only last a short while."
"In Silverton alone, we have so many leaks that result in the loss of thousands of litres of water daily. Despite reporting these issues, the metro takes its time to respond or repair them."
Streetlights out for over two years
Another resident, Jannie de Beer, voiced concerns over streetlights on Jasmyn Avenue that have not been working for over two years.
"This is troubling because we are at risk of being mugged or robbed. We have reported the issue to the municipality multiple times but with no success," De Beer said.
"We are elderly people, and we report this every time, yet no one bothers to fix it."
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Metro responds
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo stated that the city is working tirelessly to resolve infrastructure issues, such as water leaks and sewage problems, regardless of location.
"The turnaround times for attending to these issues are negatively affected by the high volume of service requests received," said Mashigo.
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Mashigo added that pothole repairs have commenced.
"We are not aware of any service requests lodged or any escalations received from residents in the area. However, a team has been dispatched to investigate the reported streets."
Mashigo also noted that recent prolonged heavy rainfall has worsened the pothole problem.
"Residents are encouraged to raise their concerns through their councillors."
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Image: Pretoria Rekord