Open letter to the CEO of City Power, Mr Sicelo Xulu

Dear Mr. Xulu,

For the past three years we have been trying to get Johannesburg City Power to take responsibility for the servitude area between Edenvale (Aitken road) and Greenstone.

The site falls under City Power power-lines and extends from Sebenza to the N3. It also falls within the boundaries of both the Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni metro municipalities.

As a result, this land has become a popular dumping site and vagrants and informal traders have also settled on the land illegally. They often make fires, which poses a major risk to the surrounding community should these burn out of control.

While the DA has gotten the Ekurhuleni metro municipality to clean up the area and the EMPD/SAPS to remove the illegal squatters from time to time, this is clearly not a permanent solution.

Because many of the bollards originally installed (by City Power) have been damaged and/or removed, bakkies and trucks can easily gain access to this illegal dumping site.  Vagrants and informal traders illegally squatting on the land are also not easily visible because of the large piles of rubbish caused by dumping.

In July 2014, three woman were raped in this area

In July 2014, three woman were raped in this area.  It has been alleged that the rapist is one of the informal traders illegally squatting on the land.  As a result, a resident put up three Rape Hotspot signs on the site. These rapes were also covered by the media including The Times, The Citizen and Bedfordview / Edenvale News.

However, more than a year later, no action has been taken by City Power to maintain and secure the area despite the power-lines that are present on the site.

I am therefore writing to request that:

1. City Power immediately removes all rubbish that has been dumped and to then level the land and beautify it.  Once the area has been leveled and cleaned, the Edenvale SAPD and EMPD have offered to step in to monitor and patrol the area in the future;
2. City Power also needs to replace all broken bollards and provide fencing on the Van Riebeeck side – from the Greenstone Shopping Centre to the Eastleigh Ridge closure fence; and
3. City Power needs to provide some security lighting on this land, particularly the spots adjacent to the residential areas.

I am happy to meet with the City Power employees who have been delegated to carry out these tasks and also to arrange a community meeting with residents from the adjacent Greenstone businesses and complexes as well as from the Ekurhuleni suburbs/industrial area who have been affected by this problem area.

I trust you view this matter in a serious light and I look forward to your response in this regard.

Yours Sincerely,

Heather Hart

Ward 18 Councillor

DA Spokesperson City Planning and Economic Development

082 902 1834

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