Cosmo City residents speak out on service delivery

01 December 2015

 

Cosmo City, a growing residential area in the City of Johannesburg’s Region C, is in desperate need of a one-stop shop to enable residents to access many of the services provided by the City with ease.

 

This was one of the points made by residents during a meeting held under the region’s Integrated Citizen Outreach Programme at Cosmo City Multipurpose Centre on Monday November 30.

Officials of several municipal entities (MEs) and departments made presentations at the gathering, during which issues such as by-law compliance and enforcement, crime, road safety and environmental health were discussed. The MOEs and departments represented at the meeting included Environmental Health, Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS), Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and Johannesburg Water.

Speaking on behalf of Environmental Health, Welna Kruger emphasised the importance of washing one’s hands and keeping premises clean at all times. She called on residents not to dump rubbish in the streets or in empty spaces as these could easily become breeding grounds for diseases.

Kruger added that it was crucial for the community to ensure that their township was kept clean at all times because “it is not in anyone’s interest to see Cosmo City going down”.

EMS Fire Safety Official Justice Khutlang spoke about the dangers of spray painting vehicles in the open.

“The fumes emanating from this process are toxic. This activity must be conducted in a controlled environment, inside a building or in a workshop,” he said.

With the festive season approaching, Khutlang warned about the dangers of fireworks. He said those who wanted to sell them would need to have permission from the City. He also emphasised the fact that sidewalks or pavements belonged to the City. Phindile Lakhaje of Citizen Relations and Urban Management (CRUM) urged the community to make use of the various city departments when they have complaints.

“We are there to serve you,” she said.

Forms were also distributed among community members to report service delivery breakdowns or backlogs so they could be speedily attended to. The gathering also heard that there were many structures that had been constructed illegally along the road. Residents who wanted to start their own businesses in their homes were urged to approach the City for permission as “Cosmo City is a residential area and not a business area”.