Businesses want answers on poor maintenance of Eastleigh Spruit and bridge

Eastleigh businesses Propshaft Master and Metalen claim that the municipality is in contravention of a court order following a lack of maintenance and upkeep of the Eastleigh Spruit, near and around Plantation Road Bridge.

This comes after the Gauteng Johannesburg High Court Order ruled in favour of the companies in 2017.

The court ordered the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality to clean and clear any debris in the culverts beneath Plantation Road Bridge, remove rubble and vegetation and take all reasonable steps to prevent the culverts from becoming blocked or the flow of water being blocked.

The municipality was also instructed to remediate and rehabilitate the riverbed and put in place any other measures to prevent and mitigate any flooding of the businesses’ properties.

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Although improvements were made to the servitude serval years ago on either side of the Plantation Road Bridge, when the Bedfordview and Edenvale News visited the site with the companies’ representatives, debris, sand and a variety of other items could be seen in the servitude.

A concrete beam could be seen on the eastern side of the bridge.

On the western side of the bridge vegetation along the spruit’s banks was overgrown and a dense thicket hidden much from sight.

Propshaft Master’s corporate support director Phuti Rapudi and Metalen’s managing director Gert Naude said the municipality needs to take action and repair the stormwater servitude before the rainy season starts.

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Naude said earlier this year during the heavy rains of February, Metalen was flooded.

Like Metalen, Rapudi said Propshaft Master was also affected by the heavy rains. She said the company was not as severely impacted.

Both companies believe that if the area around the bridge is not maintained another disaster could occur, such as the 2016 flooding.

Another point brought up by Rapudi was the matter of homeless persons living along the river.

Rapudi said although she does not know how many vagrants live along the river bank located west of Plantation Road, she knows there are some in the area.

Rapudi said she realised this after noticing smoke rising from fires. She highlighted that this is a security threat to businesses and properties.

Naude also raised questions about the pungent smell which has recently affected Edenvale and seemed to be attributed to the water system.

He said in recent months the smell had gotten so bad that the company had considered closing its doors on some days.

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Ward 18 Ald Heather Hart said the source of the stench was traced to a spill of waste products in Isando after a sewerage line got blocked.

She said the cleanup was in the final stages and contractors were trying to clear a second blockage.

A request for comment was sent to the City of Ekurhuleni on March 19, requesting comment by March 22.

It was noted that the city’s roads department indicated that it would conduct a site inspection on March 26. At the time of going to print no comment was received.