When local government doesn’t work properly, it hits residents directly on the ground, in their homes, places of work and even on the road.
Resident Brent Isemonger discovered this the hard way on Sunday when a motorist crashed into his bakkie after he failed to stop at an intersection in Sherwood.
Unfamiliar with the area, Isemonger was not aware that there used to be a stop sign at the intersection into Montrose Road, and because it was not there, he did not stop and found himself with a wrecked vehicle.
Ward 39 councillor Margaret de Andrade said residents in the area were aware that the street lines had faded and that the stop sign had been stolen.
She said the municipality had been informed that the stop sign pole had been stolen and the painted stop sign had faded.
That the city had not replaced the sign, or at the very least painted the sign onto the road, is the reason that Isemonger sits without the vehicle he uses for work purposes.
Compounding matters, his vehicle was not insured.
The municipality said it was in the process of advertising an informal tender to the value of R200,000 for road signs.
“Our supply chain management sub-directorate is now perusing the submission.
“We are hopeful this process will be concluded soon for signs to be procured.
“While we do not have new stock, our roads and transport division is trying to source a stop sign from old stock to place at this intersection,” municipal spokesperson Kupido Baron told this newspaper.
This is a classic case of local government that has failed to do even the most basic of functions. Why wait until there is barely any stock before putting the contract out to tender?
The cumbersome procurement processes make matters worse.
It all boils down to poor contract management and not monitoring stock ahead of time to avoid a situation where the municipality cannot even paint markings on roads.
This is a safety hazard and it must be dealt with as a matter of urgency to prevent similar accidents or, worse, loss of life.
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