Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Estelle Dansey and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL.
The DA in Matjhabeng will submit formal questions to Council and press the Executive Mayor, Municipal Manager and Parks and Recreation Department to urgently address the growing backlog in tree maintenance across Odendaalsrus.
For years, residents have faithfully reported overgrown trees, dangerous branches and vegetation encroaching on public spaces and private properties.
Overgrown trees create safety risks for pedestrians and motorists, damage municipal infrastructure, interfere with electricity supply, and reduce the quality of life for everyone living in our communities. Despite countless complaints, many of these requests remain unresolved. In one instance, a resident has reportedly been waiting for almost 10 years for a tree to be trimmed.
This is completely unacceptable.
What should be routine maintenance has become another example of municipal failure. Residents are now living with serious safety hazards because basic tree maintenance has simply not been carried out.
Some residents can no longer access their own properties because trees and branches have completely blocked entrances. Others experience repeated electricity outages as branches continue to grow into overhead power lines. These preventable outages place unnecessary strain on the Electrical Department, disrupt families and businesses, and create dangerous conditions for both residents and municipal workers.
It has been alleged that the Parks and Recreation Department is severely understaffed and lacks the necessary equipment to carry out even basic maintenance. If these allegations are true, they point to a municipality that has once again failed to adequately resource a critical service.
Whether the cause is poor planning, budget constraints or a shortage of personnel, the result is the same: residents are paying rates and taxes while receiving little to no basic maintenance.
The neglect of public spaces does not only affect the appearance of our towns. Overgrown trees create safety risks for pedestrians and motorists, damage municipal infrastructure, interfere with electricity supply, and reduce the quality of life for everyone living in our communities.
The DA calls on the Executive Mayor, the Municipal Manager and the Parks and Recreation Department to urgently:
- Conduct an audit of all outstanding tree trimming and pruning requests.
- Prioritise trees that pose a danger to residents, obstruct access to properties or interfere with electrical infrastructure.
- Ensure sufficient staff, equipment and operational resources are made available to the department.
- Develop and publish a scheduled maintenance programme so residents know when work will be carried out.
- Improve response times to service requests and communicate progress with affected communities.
Residents should not have to wait years for basic municipal maintenance. A municipality that cannot trim trees before they become hazards is failing in one of its most fundamental responsibilities.
The DA will continue to raise these issues and demand accountability until residents receive the safe, reliable and responsive municipal services they deserve.