{"id":211005,"date":"2019-07-17T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/germistoncitynews.co.za\/211005\/life-beyond-the-reeds\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T15:51:25","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T13:51:25","slug":"life-beyond-the-reeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/develop.citizen.co.za\/germiston-city-news\/news-headlines\/2019\/07\/17\/life-beyond-the-reeds\/","title":{"rendered":"Life beyond the reeds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elsburg\/Weideman Dam was a big influence in helping Juanita Horn and her family make a decision about moving into their dream home in Klippoortjie AH years ago, and, now in 2019, it has become a nightmare.<\/p>\n

The sight of young boys catching and releasing fish, bird life seen in abundance and children playing in the park has morphed into an unsafe veld with illegal dwellers occupying vacant houses in the area and some living under the trees.<\/p>

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Residents living around Elsburg\/Weideman Dam have allegedly called for the abandoned houses to be demolished and the reeds to be cut as it attracts illegal occupants and is quickly turning into a dumping site.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, residents suspect the houses attract criminal activity.<\/p>

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One of the abandoned houses in Weideman Street, which is allegedly occupied by illegal occupants.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to one resident, Stephan Butler, on May 12 the power in the area was cut from around 6pm to the following morning. When he and a few other residents went to investigate at the substation situated on the corner of van Niekerk and Weideman streets, they chased two men, suspected to be cable thieves, into the veld and then disappeared into one of the abandoned buildings.<\/p>\n

Butler also stated that when reporting this matter to the police, they were told it\u2019s a municipal issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had the EMPD on site on many occasions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey give us the same feedback as the SAPS, that it is a municipal problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been signing petitions with ward Clr Alta de Beer over the past two years and raised these problems, but nothing gets done.<\/p>\n

\u201cResidents in the area are so tired of these issues; we have heard some want to take things into their own hands and go demolish those abandoned buildings themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Overgrown reeds covering Elsburg\/Weideman Dam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ALSO READ:\u00a0\u00a0Boundary wall replaced after months of complaints<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n

According to Horn, the community has sent written complaints about a few issues in their community to council, two petitions, one signed in 2017 and one this year, and an objection to the proposed IDP budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dam is in a shocking state of neglect, deteriorating more each year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cReeds have taken over.<\/p>\n

\u201cPromises have been made since 2010 to upgrade the dam.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring 2017 at the 2017\/2018 budget meeting, the following amounts were finally allocated towards the Elsburg\/Weideman Dam project: R500 000 would be invested for desilting the water and removing reeds, R1.1-million for the retention of the dam and R600 000 dedicated to upgrading Weideman Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only outstanding issue was a water licence and a waiting period of 300 days to obtain it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a year later and I assume the 300 days have expired, but nothing has been done.\u201d<\/p>\n

During winter when the grass is dry, the residents allegedly often have to call the fire department to put out fires that spread due to open fires made by the illegal occupants.<\/p>\n

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