Once a neighbourhood to be proud of, residents in Zoo Park in Kraaifontein are now ashamed of their streets and public parks with urban decay slowly creeping in.
The poor condition and general disrepair they say was brought about by years of neglect by local government.
“Our water pipes are old and bursting all the time and after repair work is done, the streets and pulled up pavements are left dug up with sand all over,” says Gerald Visser from the Zoo Park Committee.
“The public park looks terrible with open electricity boxes, hanging wires and rubbish everywhere. Vagrants and other criminal elements are messing up the place and making it dangerous for families to use. Illegal advertising boards hang all over the fence with no consequences for perpetrators. Where is the City in all this?” he asks.
“Ten years back the public park was great and families could enjoy it on a Sunday and feel proud of Zoo Park itself.
“But today I look around and I want to cry. As a property owner and rates payer I want to feel proud again of where I stay,” he told TygerBurger.
“The tar on the road surfaces is in bad condition and more potholes appear as a result of all the heavy trucks that use our neighbourhood streets. Yet nothing is being done. Our roads are being ruined,” he says.
Visser says broken street lights have become a common problem in the area resulting in more crime.
“One whole street block has no lights and is pitch dark. Wall jumping has occurred, motor theft, breaking into cars, CCTV camera theft and normal house break-ins as if there are no lights. The City is just ignoring our pleas and making excuses for not putting up street lights. We have had to sit like this for eight years,” he says.
“In many other streets, bulbs keep on blowing and get replaced just to start flickering again a day or two later and go out. It’s an ongoing problem with no solution in sight,” he says.
“The Zoo Park Committee is fed up with empty promises. Look at how many people have sold their house in Zoo Park alone this past two months. That is a big eye opener.”
According to Visser the community is perpetually told at budget time to wait another year to get things done.
“But this has gone on for years now with me putting in complaints and logging C3’s. The City will have to start listening to us.”
New ward councillor to Ward 102 Rhynhardt Bresler says it is impossible for the City to monitor and clean every nook and cranny daily.
“It is easy to walk around with a critical eye around to pinpoint all you see wrong and then say the entire area is in decay, while in fact our city is by far neater than most other South African Cities,” he says.
He urges the communities to take hands with him to improve Zoo Park.
“I want to also thank those residents that brought these issues to my attention and those taking care to make sure the areas around their properties are clean and neat,” he says.
According to Rhynhardt it is not only the vagrants and bin scratchers that are responsible for the messy area.
“Many residents too are responsible for leaving garden and other rubble out on the pavements expecting others to take it away for them,” he says.
Bresler says he will be investigating the water infrastructure in the area to determine the reason for the constant pipe bursts.
“If necessary I will motivate the replacement of old water pipes,” he says.
“I will appreciate it if residents notify me of where and when these pipe bursts occur and of roads that aren’t being fixed after repairs so I can apply pressure on the City departments.
“Concerning potholes, street lights and electricity boxes it will help if residents report in on the My Cape Town App and to myself with a reference number so I can monitor the process. We should work together to solve these problems,” says Bresler.
The Zoo Park Committee wil be holding an annual meeting at the library on 28 March for Zoo Park residents.
