How many Joburg departments to screw in a light bulb ?
The Nelson Mandela Bridge is an international landmark and a gateway to the country's economic hub, yet none of Joburg's city departments want to take responsibility for keeping its lights working.
At present at least four of the lights are not operating, and property developers working in Braamfontein say this has been the case for several weeks.
When The Star asked the City of Joburg who was responsible, the query was passed from department to department. The Central Johannesburg Partnership, which runs the Braamfontein Central Improvement District, said the bridge lights did not fall under it jurisdiction.
Lebogang Molapo, manager of the Newtown and Braamfontein improvement districts, said they were not responsible for maintenance of the bridge.
"We have been told that the lights are imported, and that is why they cannot be repaired," she said.
City Power, in turn, said only four lights weren't working.
"All the other lights are maintained by us and are working. The four fall under the jurisdiction of the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA)," said City Power spokesperson Louis Pieterse.
He added that planning was being done for the installation of a remotely controlled monitor to keep a check on the lights on the bridge.
"We have had problems with cable theft, but we repair the lights quickly. The new control system will in place very soon, before the World Cup," he said.
But the JDA, in turn, said responsibility for the lights lay with the Johannesburg Roads Agency, and referred The Star to the city's member of the mayoral committee responsible for transport, Rehana Moosajee.
Moosajee said she had referred the matter to the mayoral committee member for infrastructure and services, Christine Walters, who, at time of going to press, had not responded.
The 284-metre bridge, which cost R38-million to construct, is the largest cable-stayed bridge in South Africa. It was officially opened by Mandela himself and took two years to be constructed.
In 2003 it was judged "the most outstanding civil engineering project achievement in the technical excellence category" by the SA Institute of Civil Engineers.
The Star
Posted at 09:36AM Feb 16, 2010 by Editor in Market |