Pretoria - Extensive roadworks around Pretoria central have caused many businesses to shrink operations, resulting in substantial job losses, the Tshwane Chamber of Commerce said on Monday.
“Businesses are closing and those that have had the capacity to sustain themselves financially will need excellent sales over the festive period,” chamber chairman Salim Yousuf said.
“The project management in delivering (the City of Tshwane's) Operation Reclaim has unfortunately been poor and the City of Tshwane ought to take responsibility for the losses sustained by businesses,” he said.
Two major construction projects are under way in the Pretoria inner city - the Tshwane bus rapid transit project and Operation Reclaim.
Tshwane hoped to extend streets and beautify the inner city when it initiated Operation Reclaim in September last year.
Many streets in the city are barricaded and most lanes are reduced. Shop loading bays were taken over by the construction.
“By forcefully implementing the construction and in the absence of measures mitigating the foreseeable risks in street closures and by removing street parking, the City of Tshwane has knowingly acted to the detriment of businesses in the inner city,” Yousuf said.
The chamber had repeatedly written to Gauteng roads and transport MEC Ismail Vadi, requesting his intervention.
Vadi responded that the matter “falls squarely within the jurisdiction of the City of Tshwane”.
He referred the chamber to Tshwane economic development MMC Subesh Pillay.
Aletha Mlangeni, 48, told Sapa she was fired from a fast-food outlet along Thabo Sehume (formerly Andries) Street in July before the shop closed down.
“I had no hard feelings for the shop owners because customers were no longer coming. Without parking space, how do you expect customers to buy?” asked the mother of four.
Ivan Adams said he had to dismiss his 10 employees and close his small appliances business along Lilian Ngoyi (formerly Van der Walt) Street in May.
“But that time, it was all bleak. I shudder to think how these businesses operating in the city are surviving. (Tshwane mayor) Kgosientso Ramokgopa has betrayed business,” said Adams.
“Pretoria is now a city of hair salons and barber shops. Real business has left the city, that's why malls like Menlyn and Centurion are popular. This capital city is a ghost town.”
Basil Manikas owns a Wimpy outlet along Pretorius Street. He said since the roadworks began outside his shop in August 2013, he had had to dismiss staff.
“The bus terminals were moved and took with them many of the customers who now support the restaurants near the terminal. KFC actually opened (at the place where the terminals were relocated) as a result,” said Manikas.
“Our motorcycle customers no longer support us and pedestrians would not walk through the rubble to get to us. Since August 2013 our sales have been dropping to the point we are doing figures comparable to those I was doing in 2003/2004.”
He said he drastically cut staff figures from 41 to 19 and further cuts were in the pipeline.
“My wife and I have had to sell our house, our cars and a Harley Davidson motorcycle. I have cancelled all policies and my wife has had to find a job to be able to support the family,” said Manikas.
“The biggest frustration for me, is the pace of progress that is happening, the road that is under construction is a mere 200m long. Surely it cannot take 16 months to repair 200m of road in the capital city.”
He said the slow pace of the construction work had become “comical”.
“Today (Monday), they are planning on removing the newly laid paving to fix errors again. This means more business interruptions, more customers lost, and again I need to find the means to pay 2014 expenses with 2003 turnovers,” said Manikas.
The road works had also led to pavements being significantly narrowed to less than a metre.
“They removed the paving altogether leaving an uneven sandy, muddy, rocky path. This affected all our special needs customers such as wheelchair-bound customers.
“Blind or partially sighted customers and many of our loyal pensioners are unable to gain access to our store.”
Rashid Yousuf, director of giant furniture shop Queens Lifestyle, said Tshwane's beautification would be achieved at the cost of thousands of jobs.
“The damage is already done to our businesses. This is a mess. If you travel around the city you will see many vacant shops. Without loading and off-loading space how does a business operate?” asked Yousuf.
“The rents in the city centre are ridiculously expensive. We can't afford to pay anymore. I had 60 employees last year but I have since reduced to 37 only.”
Yousuf said his turnover had declined by 40 percent since last year.
“To start with, employees are always late because of the traffic congestion. Secondly, we sell big furniture in here, which means the workers have to carry the huge heavy lounge suites for a long distance. Our loading bays have been taken,” he said.
“For more than a year, we have endured. We have had customers cancelling appointments after sitting in traffic for hours.”
He said the roadworks should have been done in phases. At times dirt from the construction at his shop entrance spilled onto the “expensive tile” inside, and damaged stock and curtains.
Democratic Alliance Tshwane councillor Karen Meyer said the road closures had resulted in chaos in the capital city.
The situation was exacerbated by a lack of traffic control measures.
“Worse than metro police officers not present at busy intersections or streets to regulate the traffic are officers that are tasked to be there, standing around and not doing anything to alleviate the problem,” she said.
“There seems to be a general disregard for work ethics and no senior official taking responsibility or ensuring officers do what they are supposed to.”
The issue of idle police officers had been reported to the city.
“The city officials and the ANC politicians promise in each instance to immediately address the relevant problems. However, we have not seen any true commitment to do so and neither has the public,” said Meyer.
Earlier this month, Tshwane municipal spokesman Lindela Mashigo said the finishing time for the construction projects could be extended due to rain.
The projected time frames for the completion of construction work were:
* Boom Street to Struben Street - Dec 2014;
* Struben Street to Johannes Ramokhoase Street - Feb/March 2015;
* Johannes Ramokhoase Street to Madiba Street - Dec 2014;
* Madiba Street to Pretorius Street including Church Square - March 2015; and
* Pretorius Street to Nana Sita Street - to commence later in 2014 or early 2015. Residents would be informed when construction commenced.
Mashigo warned that “considering the rainy season we are facing ahead, construction might be delayed by weather conditions, discovery of unidentified services, and the discovery of heritage artefacts”.
Sapa