Latest news with #AllisonSchoeman
The Citizen
30-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Operation Good Hope returns to The Bluff
THE Bluff Ratepayers and Residents Association (BRRA) has welcomed the return of eThekwini Municipality's outreach programme, Operation Good Hope (OGH). Deputy chairperson of the BRRA Allison Schoeman said the programme is working on fixing streetlights. Also read: DA takes eThekwini Municipality to High Court over sewage crisis 'The Electricity Department is on Tara Road, assessing what is needed to repair the streetlights on both Tara Road and Club Road. This follows my request earlier this morning (July 29) for this road to be prioritised. 'The team has confirmed that the prolonged outage is due to the underground cables having been stolen. As a solution, they will now explore the use of overhead cables,' said Schoeman. The programme will also focus on tree-cutting challenges on The Bluff. 'Another major obstacle is the overgrown trees along Tara Road. Unfortunately, the person responsible for tree-cutting does not have the resources to assist during OGH this week. I have suggested that, if eThekwini can provide the cherry-picker, we could call on community volunteers to assist with trimming the trees. 'However, this involves a significant red tape due to liability concerns if anyone were to be injured,' she said. Also read: Southlands Sun 1 August 2025 She said the South Durban Basin Area Based Management is looking into alternative arrangements. 'But if any skilled individuals are willing to assist, acknowledging the risks and signing an indemnity in favour of the city, your help would be greatly appreciated. We are therefore calling on our community for volunteers to help us move this forward,' she added. For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.
The Citizen
23-07-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Bluff Residents and Ratepayers Association launch drive to beautify Bluff Showgrounds
THE Bluff Ratepayers and Residents Association (BRRA) have unveiled a new project to transform the Bluff Showgrounds into a family-focused green oasis, replicating the internationally renowned Durban Botanic Gardens. Also read: Plans underway to restore The Bluff Showgrounds Under the theme 'Let's grow it together,' the project aims to reclaim and revitalise the land to offer a safe, serene and welcoming place for the whole community to use. Allison Schoeman, the vice chairperson of the BRRA, said, 'The goal is to create a serene, garden-like environment where families can enjoy picnics, children can play safely, and residents can find a moment of peace in nature.' She added that the campaign was inspired in response to growing demands from the community for a public place that is safe. 'The beach is not always a safe or accessible alternative for children due to increasing incidents of anti-social behaviour,' said Schoeman. How the community can get involved: To make this vision a reality, the BRRA is calling on residents, businesses and local organisations to support the project by donating the following items: Old plant pots Plants and seedlings Paint, gardening tools and landscaping materials Skilled services such as landscaping, painting and building Resources to refurbish toilet facilities She added that in addition to the materials they need volunteers who can bring their expert green thumbs or Picassos who can paint or anyone who would like to help. The BRRA also made a special appeal to help improve the children's playground at the showgrounds. The association is calling on companies and sponsors to join in through their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives to help make this dream a reality. Drop-off location and contacts: Donations may be dropped off at 66 Smith Drive, Bluff. For more information or to find out how to get involved, contact Allison Schoeman on 076 223 3480 or email [email protected]. Time frame: The plan for the drive is to be ongoing for the next couple of months. Schoeman said they have multiple phases planned and regular updates will be shared on BRRA social media to keep the community engaged and informed. For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
22-04-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Water outage tracker launched on The Bluff
IN an attempt to be proactive in the face of long-standing water service disruptions, the Bluff Ratepayers and Residents Association (BRRA) has launched a community-led water outage tracker. The tracker is an online platform aimed at improving accountability, identifying infrastructure issues and minimising response times for any future water outages. Also read: Water outages loom over The Bluff BRRA vice chairperson Allison Schoeman labelled the project a strategic step in harnessing community power to address long-term service delivery failures. 'By mapping this outage, we hope to better understand water reticulation patterns and identify weaknesses in the system. Community participation is critical to building evidence-based pressure for change, both now and in the future,' said Schoeman. Tracking in real time: The tracker allows residents to log valuable information about their water supply status, such as: • When the water cut off in their area • If supply restarted briefly and failed once more • Which zones were not influenced • The current water pressure (off, low pressure or restored) This data is analysed to determine how water is being distributed, where bottlenecks are occurring, and which infrastructure zones may be at risk of recurring problems. Why participation still matters: Schoeman urged residents to fill out the tracker even after their water supply has been restored. Post-outage data plays a key role in: •Analysing restoration timelines •Revealing inconsistencies in water distribution •Highlighting areas that experience repeated disruptions The association will continue to use the tracker as a long-term monitoring tool to better prepare for future outages and support community-led interventions. A long-term solution: Rather than a short-term solution, the Water Outage Tracker will be a long-term resilience tool. The BRRA will use the data collected to: •Develop a street-by-street water distribution map •Make a case for infrastructure enhancement •Facilitate better communication and preparedness during future service interruptions 'We are not waiting for answers. We are building them — together,' Schoeman added. Accessing the tracker: Residents can access the tracker via the following link: Everyone is welcome to report, even if their supply is not presently interrupted. Every contribution provides a more accurate picture of the greater situation. A reminder to report officially: It is important to note the BRRA tracker does not substitute official municipal reporting. Residents still need to report water outages to eThekwini Municipality through: Email: Eservices@ WhatsApp: 073 148 3477 Call centre: 080 13 13 013 eThekwini mobile app For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
