Please rid our area of drugs, plead Eldos residents

13 May 2016

 

Communication, business opportunities, unemployment, housing and drug abuse came under the spotlight when acting Johannesburg Executive Mayor Councillor Matshidiso Mfikoe and Gauteng Premier David Makhura visited Eldorado Park in Region G under the Ntirhisano community outreach programme yesterday.

 

Ntirhisano – a Xitsonga word for co-operation or working together – is a province-wide initiative that brings local and provincial government leaders and communities together to unlock service delivery issues. The visit to Eldorado Park was one of two that took place under Ntirhisano yesterday. The other was to Diepsloot in Region C, led by Gauteng Human Settlements MEC Paul Mashatile.

In Eldorado Park, MMC Mfikoe – who is also the City’s Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment and Infrastructure Services – said the City prided itself in keeping the doors of communication between itself and residents open.

'We’ve to engage with the people who put us in power so we can know what they’re happy about and also establish what we still need to work on.”

MMC Mfikoe said it was the City’s duty to ensure that complaints residents brought forward were followed up. She said Executive Mayor Parks Tau supported small business through the Jozi SME Hub, adding the City was aware of the lack of space for business purposes.

“Small business owners in this area want to grow their businesses and employ more people but they have a challenge with space,” MMC Mfikoe said.

“Initiatives such as Jozi@Work and SME Hub are there to empower the youth and it’s crucial they grab all the opportunities the City has to offer with both hands,” said MMC Mfikoe.

On housing, MMC Mfikoe said the City was aware that not much was done in Eldorado Park but said plans were in place to build more houses in the area.

“There are 6 500 houses being built in Kliptown. As the City we’ve decided that 30% of these houses must be allocated to residents of Eldorado Park,” said MMC Mfikoe.

She said there were a further 5 500 houses being built, a percentage of which would be allocated to Eldorado Park residents. The acting mayor added that the City was in discussion with the government with the aim of taking over the flats in the area to ensure the occupants had title deeds. Premier Makhura said it was not true that the visit was related to the upcoming local government elections.

"I will return next year to see what progress has been made in addressing the issues of housing, unemployment and drugs,” he said.

One of the residents, Elsie Fortein, said her drug-addicted son was terrorising the family.

“I now have no one to turn to. I’m scared that one day he might kill us all if we refuse to give him money to feed his habit. Please, Premier, sort out the Eldorado Park police station so the police will stop taking bribes and start arresting criminals who have turned our children into wild animals,” Fortein appealed.