Water erosion problem in Springs solved after continued pressure by AfriForum

The AfriForum branch in Springs wrote a letter to the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality in March informing them of constant water flow along Grootvlei Road. For the past two years, the water has been constantly flowing across the road and posed a danger to motorists on the road. On 1 April, the municipality applied a temporary solution to reduce the flow of water over the road surface. AfriForum’s Springs branch also received a letter during the week in which the metro acknowledges that they are aware of the problem, and that they already have plans in place to solve the problem permanently.

“In the letter, we presented the danger of erosion to the municipality, erosion damaging the road surface, among other things. This damage poses dangers to motorists and has a detrimental financial impact on the municipality as repairs have to be done. We therefore warned the municipality to give urgent attention to the problem. We would like to thank the municipality for their feedback and for the attention they give to the problem. The branch management will keep the community informed of the process and progress,” says Cornel Swart, Chairperson of AfriForum’s Springs branch.

“According to the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, 2000 (Act no. 32 of 2000), communities have the right to play an active role in local government to ensure that the rights of communities are protected. It is crucial that our communities follow the right processes and put pressure on municipalities to address local government issues. This is an excellent example of the success that can be achieved if a community applies sustained pressure,” said Petrus Coetzee, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the East Rand.

Get involved with the local AfriForum branch today by sending an email to springs@afriforumtak.co.za.