JRA confirms cease and desist notice, work to be done in Randpark Ridge
Residents can expect the damaged road to be excavated and reinstated in early June.
Six weeks after a resident said the Joburg Roads Agency (JRA) told him they would issue a cease-and-desist notice to his neighbour, the agency has confirmed to the media they are yet to do so. Furthermore, the resultant work to be done on Koorsboom Street is expected to be done in early June.
The notice is related to the ongoing issue of a homeowner diverting water from their property onto the road in Randpark Ridge. This water is tearing up the road, forming potholes, and damaging the property walls of other residents. However, there is an existing problem of groundwater being the chief culprit of this, so the owner is not solely to blame.
Progress finally made on Koorsboom Street drainage issues in Randpark Ridge
The illegal discharging of water onto the road from a property in Koorsboom street has been longstanding, and the property has recently undergone a change of ownership, the JRA first engaged the new owners on the inherited issue,” agency spokesperson Kelebogile Mafa said on May 16.
“The JRA will issue a bylaw enforcement cease and desist notice addressed to the new property owner to stop the flow of water illegally discharging onto the road.” She said the agency has repaired “numerous potholes” on Koorsboom and Seder streets, except for the section the homeowner is directing water onto
“Once the illegal water discharge has been stopped, repair works can be carried out on the dry road surface.”
This work includes:
- Excavation of the damaged section
- Laying of dump rocks
- Reinstatement of the affected road surface with asphalt.
This is expected to be done in early June.
In the meantime, residents such as Warren Gratz have to spend thousands of rands to strengthen their property walls because of the water.
Ward 98 councillor Beverley Jacobs said drainage was a problem in much of Randpark Ridge, not just on Koorsboom Street, and she has submitted a written question to the council as to what can be done about this.
Last year, Randpark Ridge Village Association (RRVA) installed fin drains parallel to Seder Street, to remove water that was causing extensive road deterioration. Jacobs said this has helped, but the problem is extensive.
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