They say there is a first time for everything, so this is my first time to set the allegations made by “Your favourite distressed and worried pensioner” right, by publishing the facts of the matters raised.
The councillor for Ward 84 is, in my humble opinion, a very hands-on person. That’s why I need to set the record straight with the following facts:
This past month the councillor, Gert Niemand, has been in the Bird Sanctuary no less than four times to sort out problems I and the residents of Riethaan Street reported to him. He has personally placed park benches inside the sanctuary and is very aware of what is happening inside and around the sanctuary!
A few months ago, I requested him to assist in getting the watercourse leading from the Hamberg Dam up to the intake at the bird sanctuary cleaned. This was done after a long battle but the end result was that it WAS cleaned. But within TWO days, I had to take photos of the rubbish that had again been dumped at the bridge and the intake to post on the various WhatsApp groups to make the residents aware of how some people just don’t CARE about the environment!
Niemand arranged for an A Re Sebetseng clean up of the area around the Bird Sanctuary but, because of predicted severe thunderstorms, the Mayor’s office postponed this event until next Saturday. This did not prevent the residents of Eeufees Road and Riethaan Street from coming out in numbers to start cleaning up their area! Niemand took it upon himself to personally assist in cleaning up the old monument (now broken/ vandalised) on the corner of Eeufees Road and Potgieter Avenue and he also brought his own trailer to collect the filled rubbish bags.
I wonder where the writer was on Saturday?
On 28 August I became aware that a vehicle had gone through the fence on the corner of Westlake Avenue and Makou Street, Florida Lake. I immediately sent an email to City Parks requesting that the fence be repaired and followed up on that on 29 and 31 August, but it was still not fixed! On 5 September, after the councillor again got involved, I was notified that the fence had been repaired and is NOT, as the writer alleges, still broken!
All the drains in Eeufees Avenue have been cleaned and the blocked channel underneath the train line and storm water drain across the road has been opened up. In addition, all the road marking along this road and other streets, have been repainted!
I too am an pensioner, but will again once more be there to help clean up the area, although I do not reside there. Hopefully I will see the writer there?
I have the emails and photographs to support the facts I have mentioned in my letter and am more than willing to share them with “Your favourite distressed and concerned pensioner”. I’ll even give him a tour through the area, including the Bird Sanctuary.
