Residents of the Rodsfield area in Kempton Park expressed dissatisfaction that long-term service issues, including potholes on roads, non-functional streetlights, and sewage problems, were only urgently addressed shortly before the funeral of 38-year-old runner Elizabeth 'Contso' Moselakgomo.
During an inspection of the area conducted by IOL, numerous potholes were observed on various streets. However, near the Moselakgomo family home, municipal workers were engaged in filling potholes and general cleaning.
One resident reported that sewage problems in the district managed by the Democratic Alliance Party (DA) were also resolved on Tuesday.
For local residents, this temporary factor was difficult to ignore. While they welcomed the repairs, they questioned why infrastructure failures, which they had repeatedly reported, were only being fixed during the period leading up to the community preparation for Moselakgomo's burial, whose murder shocked Kempton Park.
Moselakgomo went missing on September 9 during a daytime run. Her body was found the following week, and she was identified by her family on September 14.
Residents' Opinion on Repair Timelines
Tim Marshall, a Rodsfield resident, noted that the repairs are welcome but came too late. He stated: 'We had many problems with this road; as you can see, they are fixing it now. We have not had streetlights for safety since 2019.'
Marshall added that cable theft exacerbated safety issues in the community, leading residents to face prolonged power outages and sometimes having to pay for the restoration of stolen cables. He emphasized that residents 'were burdened with costs for repairing and reconnecting copper wire stolen by thieves,' noting that crime has become a growing problem in the area, about which residents have complained for a long time due to lack of action.
Criticism of Political Leadership
Community leader Lilieve Mlilvana directed criticism at the political leadership of the district, stating that residents found it difficult to secure regular public meetings to address service provision issues. She pointed out that their councilor did not adequately involve communities in Rodsfield, Cresslowne, and areas near the center of Kempton Park.
Mlilvana stated: 'He acts like a Democratic Alliance councilor. Areas like Rodsfield, Cresslowne, he really doesn't serve them, even close to the Kempton Park center.'
Instead, residents turned to the Ekurhuleni City reporting systems. According to Mlilvana, residents contacted the Deputy Mayor for Transport of Ekurhuleni on Tuesday, after which municipal departments arrived to resolve several outstanding issues. She noted: 'Then we got a positive response. The department, as you can see now, is here, and the energy department is here to ensure the streetlights are on. They are also dealing with drainage, as you saw.'
Another resident, who wished to remain unnamed, characterized the sudden intervention as a 'showpiece project.' This resident expressed concern that everything would revert to normal after the funeral: 'no services, no safety, and poor infrastructure.'
Residents said they sympathize with the Moselakgomo family and welcome the improvements in the area, but insist that the same urgency should be applied long after the funeral. Ekurhuleni has long complained about low quality of services and police oversight.