Building on the success of its initial rollout, AfriForum Noord van die Berg branch R250 Fix a Pothole Challenge is set to expand to other areas in the north of Pretoria.
The challenge has brought much-needed relief to the community, which has been suffering from deteriorating road conditions.
The grassroots initiative has already proven its potential to transform neighbourhoods by mobilising residents to improve matters themselves.
The R250 challenge was launched to address the growing frustration over potholes in the area, which have become safety hazards and a source of vehicle damage.
With municipal resources stretched and road maintenance requests piling up, the challenge has provided a quick and practical solution by asking residents to contribute R250 each toward road repairs.
The funds are used to purchase tar and other materials, and the results have been significant.
AfriForum has fixed 33 potholes, picked up 2 616 bags of litter in the north of Pretoria this month.
The success of this initiative has generated a wave of positive feedback, and AfriForum is now looking to expand the challenge into other neighbourhoods such as Montana, Sinoville, Onderstepoort and other areas in the north.
Branch coordinator Sampie Steinberg said the goal is to replicate the model in neighbouring areas where road conditions are similarly poor.
“The challenge has proven that when communities come together, real change can happen.
“We have seen how this initiative has improved safety and cleanliness of Pretoria North, and we believe the same approach can benefit other areas in the north,” said Steinberg.
He said the expansion plans come as residents continue to show a willingness to contribute toward the initiative, which has not only improved roads but also fostered a stronger sense of community involvement.
Steinberg said each neighbourhood branch would adopt the challenge, encouraging locals to pool their resources and focus on addressing the most critical pothole repairs.
One of the key factors driving the expansion is the ongoing demand for road repairs in the metro’s northern areas.
With an already stretched municipal budget, many road repair requests are left unaddressed, creating a backlog that the challenge is helping to alleviate.
By expanding this initiative, AfriForum hopes to extend the impact of the project and ensure that even more roads are restored to ensure safe driving conditions.
“We have seen great progress so far, and with the support from residents, we can achieve even greater results as we take this challenge to more areas.”
Residents in the broader north of Pretoria region will soon be able to participate in the challenge by donating to their local AfriForum branch, using reference “NVDB” or “Noord van die Berg” to ensure funds are allocated correctly.
Resident Tau Tladi said the challenge will fix some of the potholes in streets such as Elizabeth Street in Sinoville.
“Such initiatives are good because we don’t have to wait for the metro to come fix them after weeks of reporting.
“I will support the initiative, and I hope other neighbours will also,” said Tladi.
Steinberg emphasised that while the challenge can address smaller potholes, larger road issues still need to be reported to the municipality.
Residents are encouraged to report any potholes to pothole@tshwane.go.za, and the local AfriForum branch will assess which ones they can repair.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
