By Kishore Badal
Can I make it very clear so that you don’t come back with more tricks and political rhetoric. As an activist in the broader Lenasia area, I will continue assisting, not only residents of ward 9 but also the neighbouring wards.
Let’s be clear, officials in the city and particularly in this region are appointed to serve everyone, not just the DA. So let’s get it right, stop misleading Lenasians by telling people who they need to speak to for assistance – it’s their choice and they are fully aware of the processes in the City. They understand the reporting processes.
Your administration failed the residents of Lenasia repeatedly, despite all attempts to get you to assist. Residents in Lenasia and Lenasia South experienced the worst land invasion during your years of goverment. Tens of thousand of new unserviced shacks were allowed into broader Lenasia and our pleas continuously fell on deaf ears. People living in homes for over 40 years were thrown out of their homes and received no assistance or compensation, despite all the reporting and even petitions.
Residents were promised by your admInistration that they will assisted. It never happened.
Reported illegal connections of water and electricity are rampant and, law abiding residents go without services regularly.
Infrastructue remains antiquated and the frequency and duration of outages continue to increase.
Your councillirs are not members of the same community, like you claim and do not know our struggles. You do not feel our pain. Yes Shirley is a Lenasian and comes from this communuty and is the one only exception.
You had government for three years and your so-called caring has been experienced by the residents of Lenasia and Lenasia South. Your councillors do not live in the same neighbourhoods or even in the region, nor do they work alongside our residents, as any good neighbour should.
Our property has devalued because of your administration and remisses. Businesses have moved out of the area and jobs have been lost.
No new investments have come to our areas, instead businesses have closed because of bad service delivery and the lack of law-enforcement
Being dedicated to the diversity of residents and paying lip service to that diversity is not enough. We need to be treated with fairness. Our freedoms need to to be recognized and respected and we need to also receive the opportunities that will allow Lenasia to grow, flourish and receive services.
Yes, the by-elections are on the 11th November and Wards 9 and 120 will elect councillors who will serve their interests and not be focused on politcal power and who governs Johannesburg.
Yes our residents in Lenasia have been too trusting in the past, but are quite clear about their needs and what has been happening to parties focused on political power and not on their responsibility to residents.
I will continue to assist residents as best I can and remind you, that you do not own the officials – they are employed by the City to assist residents and provide particular services necessary to good governance.
