Khutsong South Ext 2: Why does the municipality not cut the grass in Khutsong South Ward 12?

12 January 2020

Mr Oupa Tsotetsi is an unemployed worker who had bought himself a grass cutting machine, after he saw a woman robbed of her belongings by criminals. This happened not far from his house in Khutsong South Ext 2, in a section called Smallville.

The woman who works at Shoprite Gateway Mall was mugged by two thieves. They took her belongings, including a wallet, bag, and an ID book, and ran off. The crime took place around 19:50 PM. The present writer escalated the matter to the ward councillor and the Merafong Parks Department to cut the grass in the small open spaces, between railway, R559 Road and open veld, and the side on which the storm water drain is situated.

Long grasses are the hiding place for petty criminals . And also, there are no high mass lights or streets lights in the area and no proper streets either.

The grass there is growing out of control, contributing to crime. Oupa Tsotetsi has been living in Khutsong South, Ext 2, Ward 12 for 3 years and the grass has not been cut by the Merafong Municipality in all that time.

They have a tractor and a team of grass cutters, and there are open spaces, play-lots and the road side growth were not cut in spite of that.

They cut a small patch and left. The municipality said they would inform the grass cutting team but 2 months have since passed while nothing has happened. Snakes and rats enter people’s properties. The Merafong municipality fails to clean or cut the open land.

“I am going to send an email to the president if they do not cut the grass soon,” he said.