Small Job, Big Problem: Haig Avenue Branches Reflect Komani’s Ongoing Neglect

Three weeks after trees were trimmed along Haig Avenue to prevent branches from touching electrical wires, the cuttings still lie piled along the roadside.

What started as a necessary safety measure has turned into yet another example of unfinished municipal work. The Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality responded to residents’ requests to cut the overgrown trees — but never returned to collect the debris.

Now, the branches sit gathering dust, blocking pavements and creating an eyesore in the neighbourhood. For many locals, it’s a familiar story: maintenance starts, but completion never follows.

Across Komani, the same picture repeats itself — half-done jobs, broken promises, and poor follow-up. Streets lined with overgrown grass, potholes left open for months, and waste collection delays have all become part of daily life.

The neglected branches on Haig Avenue may seem like a small matter, but they reflect a bigger truth about local governance — a town where even the simplest tasks are left hanging, and accountability remains absent.

Until the municipality learns to finish what it starts, Komani’s residents will keep living among the reminders of a system that has stopped caring.