City Parks asks residents to cut grass
GLEN ATHOL - Resident, Vasie Pillay is not impressed with the lack of maintenance in her area.
Pillay is concerned that City Parks has allowed the grass on Boero Road in Glen Athol to grow to such an extent that it is becoming a security risk.
“Maintenance in our area is so bad,” said Pillay. “We always have to struggle to get service delivery here. They are not playing their part.”
Ward 91 councillor Andrew Stewart said City Parks missed their last grass cutting cycle on Boero Road. “I have followed up with them numerous times and the prolonged rainy spell has been used as a reason by most of the personnel in response,” explained Stewart.
“Generally, City Parks cuts the grass once every quarter. Vasie wants it to be cut more regularly than that, which City Parks is not able to do.”
Sakhile Maphumulo, general manager for regional maintenance at City Parks said, “The summer rains significantly impact on the greening entity´s ability to deliver services at an optimum level. This is largely due to the warm and wet weather which accelerates the rate of growth of grass, shrubs and trees, and impedes work schedules as employees are not authorised to operate machinery in the rain.”
Pillay said, however, that she had been requesting that the grass be cut on Boero Road for months, and the heavy rains over the last couple of weeks was not an excuse.
Jenny Moodley, spokesperson for City Parks said they were appealing to residents to maintain pavements adjacent to their homes. “This will go a long way towards alleviating some of the pressures of timeous delivery, and will allow the greening entity to focus on parks, cemeteries and street trees that require more specialised maintenance services,” she explained.
“City Parks would like to commend residents who are going the extra mile and have maintained and beautified their verges.”
Tell us on Facebook: What are your views on City Park’s appeal for residents to maintain the sidewalks adjacent to their homes?
Residents pay city parks and should not maintain municipal verges. C parks need to take responsibility for their portfolio and not ever make excuses. Our park in Plantation Road Bryanston has not been cut for 6 months. Parks say they have a 3 month cycle I haven’t seen them keep to this! Ever!! We need the ANC out of Gauteng and then we will see action and improvement in every sphere!
I think that ward Councillors need to be more active in following Council’s and City Park’s processes to resolve service delivery issues.
In case residents have not noticed, unkempt parks are not the only areas that require attention. It is the verges, landscaped pavements and open areas adjacent to roads that are unkempt as well.
Tweeting to the respective ward Councillors raising these issues achieved nothing. Posing for photographs pointing out service delivery issues is not enough. Reporting, following up, exhausting the relevant process and escalating to City Parks regional management is what is required.
For all the rates that we pay, it is disgusting to see Sandton so untidy. City Parks must really be in disarray.
Buy me a lawnmower.
Hi Jenny, you will be surprised to learn that the DA runs your ward.