City Parks aims to reduce service
"The Democratic Alliance is baffled by the application by the City of Joburg's ANC led administration's for permission from Council to discontinue grass cutting on residential verges, " says DA PR Councillor Linus Muller. "This is another feeble attempt to cut down on expenditure in the City and comes at the cost of increased rates and taxes and a decrease in service delivery," Muller adds. This latest revelation came to light in last week's Community Development Section 79 meeting.
Muller also asks what will happen to staff that have been employed to fill this function? Muller, who serves on the City's Finance oversight committee, notes that by the end of January, City Parks utilised only 21% of their capital expenditure budget. "City Parks also had a positive bank balance of more than R227 million, that was swept into the central bank account," Muller adds. Currently there is 1 month left in the City's Financial Year.
"If approved, this proposal will have a negative impact on the cleanliness, health, general appearance, safety and image of the City of Johannesburg, and will contribute to driving investment out of Johannesburg and into cities that are better managed," says Susan Mottram, Councillor for ward 115. "City Parks currently has responsibility for the control of vegetation, other than weed spraying, on sidewalks.
A Section 79 Community Development report (dated 8 May 2012), states ‘in order to establish a degree of uniformity of service delivery, this report examines the feasibility and implications of discontinuing the activity of grass cutting outside all properties in residential areas', and goes on to say ‘City Parks is striving to achieve an equitable standard of service across the entire spectrum of CoJ (City of Johannesburg) that includes historically disadvantaged areas where little had been provided in the past," says Mottram.
Mottram adds, "Yes, this city should deliver equitable services for all of its residents, and that should mean well-maintained, clean and safe streets for everyone in our City. Instead of lowering the standards of the City by taking away the grass cutting service where it exists, those who govern the City should seek to stabilise the billing system and improve the rates' collection rate so that its municipal entities can afford to install quality standards for the disadvantaged.
What should happen is for historically disadvantaged areas, such as Alexandra, Orange Farm, Diepsloot, Kya Sands and Zandspruit, to have the life those residents were promised, and we don't want to see any area thrown onto the trash heap in the name of "equitable" service. Supplying services to the areas that do not currently receive them would raise quality of life, towards achieving the World Class African City that we all desire. Isn't this what the ruling party promised?!"
Cllr Paul Smit, DA City Parks Spokesperson, says that this proposal could be in contravention of the Public Road and Miscellaneous By-Laws of 2003. Section 8 refers to "Damaging of Council's property" which states "Subject to section 10, no person may deface, tamper, damage remove, or in any way interfere with any of the City's property or work on or along any public road."
The Democratic Alliance believes that if this motion is approved by Council, residents should be given a rebate for added costs that will be incurred by the ratepayer. "At the Section 79 we requested that this change in policy be referred to the residents for public comment. The ANC did not support the DA's view on this issue proving, once again, an absolute lack of consideration for the residents of the City," Smit concluded.
A suburban pavement as currently maintained by City Parks:
Statement issued by Democratic Alliance Johannesburg May 17 2012
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