Originally published on 29 August 2024

People living in Parkmore, a suburb in Joburg, dealt with damaged roads because of a leaking pipe in one of their roads. Although fixing roads is what we pay the local government to do through our taxes, the community took action to support the City of Johannesburg’s backlog.

What was the problem?

A water leak on Holt Street in Parkmore worried locals. Joburg Water changed a broken pipe two months ago, but the pipe continued to leak. This caused damage to the road surface. Cars driving over the unfixed part broke the pipe again, leading to more water leaking and bigger holes in the road. This was dangerous for drivers and people walking on the streets.

How did they solve it?

Residents Susan Kemp and Ronald Ncube decided to fix the problem themselves. They filled the holes with stones and sand to make the road usable and channelled the leaking water to the pavement. Kemp reported the problem to Ward 90 councillor Martin Williams, who promised to make it a priority with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA).

Read more

• Morningside Manor residents expressed concerns over Joburg Water reinstatement methods
• Water leak revealed need for road signs on Sutherland Avenue
• Not all crevices were potholes, JRA explained

Acknowledgements:

Original article written by: Duduzile Khumalo

Photograph supplied by: Sandton Chronicle

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