A very unhappy resident from Olivedale is up in arms over work that was done by the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) on his property.
Owner of the property in David Street, Pierre du Toit, explained that he began having problems with JRA after his neighbour petitioned the court against JRA due to the fact that when it rained, his house flooded. He further explained that since JRA began work on his property to alleviate the problem, he has experienced nothing but headaches.
“The road is an uphill and a downhill and our houses are at the bottom where the catchment area for the water is. I was approached by the engineer who was appointed by JRA who said that to solve the problem of the rain water flooding my neighbour’s house, they would have to erect a drain in my yard as the pipes went through it,” Du Toit said.
After work began on Du Toit’s property he alleges that his gate motor was damaged, his back wall removed and the security that was provided was not adequate. “Since the motor gate was damaged by the contractor I have had five break-ins and I have tenants who have since moved from the property because they feared for their safety,” he added.
“After some time I began having serious problems with the sewerage drain on my property and this must have resulted from the contractor having damaged a pipe,” he said.
The sewerage pipe that Du Toit alleges burst on his property flowed through the yard carrying the sewage into the Juksksei River behind his property.
Du Toit also complained about the contractor destroying his pavement and not replacing it properly, he also said that all the trees that were in his garden have since been removed and that the drain that was built on his property is facing the wrong direction.
“As the water flows from the street into my yard there is no gully to direct the water into the drain which is facing the wrong direction if it’s supposed to catch the water from the streets,” Du Toit said.
He pointed out that it seemed as if the contractor knew that he had messed up with the drain because he had left a hole in his garden wall to let the water run through it.
Spokesperson for JRA Bertha Peter-Scheepers explained that JRA embarked on this project which she said totaled R 2 407 458 after Du Toit’s neighbour obtained a court order compelling JRA to solve the issue of flooding during the rainy season.
“The servitude in question belongs to JRA and therefore we have right of way onto the servitude in order to resolve the issues,” Peter-Scheepers said.
She pointed out that that there had been a shooting incident that involved the foreman involved in the project and that since then the project was halted but added that the project was not yet completed.
“The contractor must complete Du Toit’s front wall, build a grid inlet for the storm-water drain outside the property, the pathway must be redone, plant covers must be added, build a barrier kerb and also fix the wall at the back of the property,” Peter-Scheepers explained.
She pointed out however, that the major works were completed and that Du Toit’s property would be restored to what it was before the project started and that the contractor involved has pledged to complete the project.
Details: Joburg Road Agency, 0860 562 874 or hotline@jra.org.za.
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