WATCH: Dire infrastructure a disaster for Jukskei Park family
Jesse appeals to Johannesburg Roads Agency to attend to their infrastructure crisis as a matter of urgency.
It seems like Jesse Petronio and his family invited trouble for themselves when they moved to Jukskei Park in 2021. Petronio said he had to dig into his pockets at least twice to repair damages caused to his property because of the dire infrastructure crisis in the area.
He recalled how it all started, “My father-in-law passed away in 2021. So, my wife, I, and my mother-in-law moved to live in one house in the south of Jukskei Park. We were only here for three months when the wall in our backyard collapsed in February 2022 while we were sitting outside having lunch.
“The reason why it collapsed is because of this servitude next door to us where there is water flowing into the Klein Jukskei River. The servitude was blocked by a structure that had been built – incorrectly built and it is not maintained. The JRA said they did not build it –the complex behind us built it for safety reasons apparently.”
He said the road agency promised to speak with the residents about removing the erected structure but it was just talks with no action till today.
WATCH:
“The structure blocked the water from flowing, which then flooded my neighbour’s yard and built up all the way to the top of his wall until it collapsed. The water then flowed across my yard, smashed into our front yard and bashed the wall down. The damage was actually about 300 000 which it cost to replace my entire wall, clean my swimming pool, and replace my swimming pool motor and gate motor. Thank goodness no one was outside or cars driving past at that moment.”
“There were bricks everywhere in the road and my chlorine bottle that we had in the swimming pool ended up down the street. That is how much water there was. We contacted ward councillor Mark and he has been helpful but unfortunately, there is not much that he can do from his side. He has told us numerous times that he is not supposed to instruct JRA to do certain things but he has arranged a meeting with us and JRA; they did come and agreed that the state of the servitude was in need of repairs.”
Petronio explained the walls inside the servitude had collapsed and left the sewerage pipes exposed, “You can see in the pictures there is a manhole that looks like it used to be level with the ground but is now exposed because of all the soil that has gone missing. There used to be a structure that went over the flowing water but it was completely bashed down.”
He said his main concern is the tons of soil that is being washed away every day because of the water. “I am just worried that in the next five or 10 years to come – would we have enough soil left? Is it gradually going to affect our wall? What are we going to do then? My other concern is that the sewer is not functioning correctly, in the sense that the water is not flowing as it should. What would happen if we have a massive storm again and the water gets clogged up at the bottom?
He said he had to spend R500 to repair his electric fence after a tree fell on it. He blames it on the soil erosion. Petronio is pleading with the road agency to do its job and attend to their grievances as a matter of urgency. He said when it rains, it becomes worse.
“The situation not only threatens the structural integrity of our properties but also presents potential environmental contamination and electrical hazards. Our attempts to engage with relevant authorities have yielded limited results, despite efforts such as including the rehabilitation of the stormwater culvert in the Integrated Development Plan. The response has not matched the urgency of the situation, prompting us to turn to local media for assistance and advocacy.”
When approached for comment, media spokesperson of Johannesburg Road Agency Bertha Peters-Scheepers acknowledged receipt of our query and said she would revert with more information. We will follow up with an update once it becomes available.
Related Article:
