Following the recent storms ravaging Johannesburg’s roads, residents in Chartwell have banded together with spades, trucks and heaps of support to fix the pothole-ridden tar on Third Road.
Residents have allegedly emailed and attempted to contact the Johannesburg Roads Agency regarding the state of the roads for the past year, but have now taken matters into their own hands by fixing the roads themselves.
According to one resident, who did not want to be named, a spokesperson from the Johannesburg Roads Agency stated that the residents’ involvement in fixing the roads was ‘illegal’.
“I think it’s ridiculous that they would say it’s illegal if they do not come to Chartwell and come up with a proper solution,” she retorted.
Ward 96 councillor Matome Mafokwane said the roads agency have listed the road as a priority and will rectify the issue after the rain has cleared. He wants a complete fixing of the road and the insertion of storm water drains, which would prevent subsequent storms from ruining the road. Regarding the legal implications, he said, “At the moment, what the residents are doing is sustaining the roads, which is completely legal, but it’s up to the roads agency to maintain it.”
A representative from the Johannesburg Roads Agency said they have dispatched a team to assess the issue. Chartwell falls under Region A, and qualifies for the resurfacing programme to take place in that area this year.
The weather conditions of the past two weeks caused major damage to the infrastructure of the City of Johannesburg and the agency has embarked on an extensive programme to repair the damage. Abigail Ndlovu, regional director of Region A, along with the roads agency’s Bertha
Peters-Scheepers, will brief the area on the programme on 17 March.
