The Waterloo Green petition has been handed over to the powers that be.
And now the Wynberg community waits.
At the start of June residents of Ward 62 were asked to put their support behind a petition for the demolition of derelict houses and address security risks on Waterloo Green Road in Wynberg.
READ | ‘We need to stop the rot’: Petition to demolish derelict Waterloo Green properties
Emile Langenhoven, councillor for Ward 62, explained the Waterloo Green houses were a test case on how to deal with neglected national government properties at a local level.
He said the petition would be submitted to the DA shadow minister for Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), Sello Seithlolo, for submission to the DPWI portfolio committee.
By the time the petition closed on Monday 19 June, a total of 2 135 residents had signed.
According to Parliament.gov.za, “[the] petition will be lodged with the Secretary of Parliament to review it and confirm it is correct in format and content, and then submitted to the Speaker of the National Assembly or the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces.”
After that, “if the petition complies with all the requirements it will be tabled in the relevant house and referred to the relevant committee for consideration and report.”
Langenhoven said he was uncertain how long the process would take.
“I hope all requirements will be met so it is handed down to the DPWI portfolio. At this point I will ask MP Sello Seithlolo to provide updates as the matter progresses, and I will report back to the community as I receive the latest information via my WhatsApp groups, email distribution groups and Facebook page, which can be found by searching for Emile4Ward62 on Facebook.”
He said the petition spoke to a larger issue.
ALSO READ | ‘Small step forward’
“There are many properties around the country, currently unaccounted for by DPWI, which are going to ruin.
“This petition addresses a larger, national issue that calls for the DPWI to be accountable for its immovable property, many heritage ones that can be used for the greater good of the communities they are located in. The impact of this neglect resonates through our communities, and this petition calls for the DPWI to be accountable.”
