13 February, 2006

By Clifford Mogotsi

PRESIDENT Thabo Mbeki's "age of hope" may be coming to Apple Park, a historic area in Burgershoop.

Mbeki had said South Africa had "entered the age of hope" in his State of the Nation speech on Friday, 3 February. Just two days later, Mogale City Mayor Lentswe Mokgatle visited the disadvantaged suburb, where he spent a Sunday afternoon chatting to the residents and listening to their needs.

Mokgatle spoke about the challenges the municipality had faced in its five-year term, yet pointed out that it was "walking on the right path to making the city a desirable place to live in". One of the challenges he cited was that of redeveloping housing in Apple Park.

"We [the City council] urge you to organise a housing association so that we as the government can get guidance about the area," he said.

The council was also exploring the redevelopment of Apple Park in partnership with the national, provincial and private sector.

Mokgatle reminded the community about the municipality's Indigents Management Programme, which was aimed at helping those who were living on or below the breadline.

Free basic services include 50 kilowatt hours of electricity and six kilolitres of water a month for each household, and free installation of pre-paid meters and subsidised rates and taxes for qualifying residents. More information on the package of free services is available at all libraries, municipal pay points and the indigent office at the IEC Building, on the corner of Commissioner and Monument streets, in Krugersdorp.

There have been reports in the local media that drugs and poverty are rife in Apple Park, and residents confirmed at the meeting with the mayor that they encountered all these problems.

Mokgatle invited the area commissioner for the West Rand, Rex Machabe, to respond to the people's needs.

Questions posed by the residents dwelt on the issues of racism, safety, housing, irregular rubbish collection and long grass in parks.

Resident Amanda Pretorius, who has adopted a black child, said she received racist comments in her everyday life. "I have a problem with racism in this area because whenever I walk in the street with my child, we are both called names."

Regarding refuse removal problems, Snowy Mothiba, the director of integrated waste management, said the municipality had taken delivery of five leased trucks on 2 and 6 February.

"These trucks have been leased for six months, as a short-term solution," she said. They would go some way to solving the problems.

Mayor upbeat about City's achievements

Free services for indigent households