The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has taken the decision to close Iridium Street between Randfontein Road and Penny Road in Ward 71, Roodepoort to all traffic, as a result of structural failures of the road.
According to City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba, although the road is old, illegal mining activities in the vicinity have contributed immensely to its deterioration. Holes dug by illegal miners have resulted in ponding when it rains, and this has undermined the structure of the road. In addition, the structural integrity of the road has been seriously affected and poses a serious risk for motorists and other road users. The JRA will endeavour to prioritise the rehabilitation and reconstruction of this road during the 2019/ 20 financial year.
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https://www.citizen.co.za/roodepoort-record/2019/06/28/urgent-notice-for-roodepoort-motorists/
The road closure is necessitated by the need for public safety in general as well as putting the safety of motorists first. The closure will be in force until June 2020, by which time the road should have been repaired. Road users and affected communities will be notified in due course as to when the rehabilitation works will commence.
Mashaba went on to indicate that this was not the first time the City had raised serious concerns about the impact of illegal mining on the City. These concerns have allegedly fallen on the deaf ears of national government.
He also mentioned that, “Late last year, the Department of Mineral Resources stated that there was ‘… no immediate threat to critical infrastructure as has been claimed …’. This is despite the very real and imminent threat faced by residents as a result of illegal mining with the use of explosives near highways, Transnet bulk fuel supply lines and SASOL gas pipelines running across the City. The views expressed by the Department illustrate the national government’s inability to proactively manage this dangerous situation and protect the safety of Johannesburg residents. As far back as October of 2017, the urgency of the matter was raised by Transnet, who wrote to me seeking the City’s assistance in arresting illegal mining activities which not only threatened infrastructure, but residents’ lives as well.”
He stated that on two occasions, he had written to the Minister of Mineral Resources, Gwede Mantashe, requesting his support and intervention with regard to illegal mining with the use of explosives near highways, Transnet bulk fuel supply lines and SASOL gas pipelines. However, the Minister allegedly chose to turn a blind eye to those requests.
He had also requested that Minister Mantashe instruct his Department to provide specific measures, plans and interventions to avert this pending disaster. This was again allegedly met with silence.
These efforts followed several other attempts, made in good faith, to engage the former Minister, Mosebenzi Zwane, by writing to him on both 28 November 2017 and 12 February 2018. In Mashaba’s letter dated 28 November 2018, he requested the former Minister’s assistance in terms of instructing his Department to provide measures and interventions to avert a impending disaster. However, the deadline came and went without any communication from the former Minister.
“In the interests of inter-governmental relations, I took the step of also sending these letters to the Minister of COGTA, Zweli Mkhize; the Premier of Gauteng, David Makhura; the MEC for COGTA in Gauteng, Uhuru Moiloa, and the former Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant General Deliwe de Lange, in the hopes that they would understand the urgency of this matter and assist in ensuring that necessary interventions and measures were put in place to avert this potential disaster. Once again, dead silence. It is greatly disappointing that the City’s efforts up to date been wholly ignored, ” Mashaba explained.
The threats posed by illegal mining activity include:
• Near pipelines carrying gas and fuel – increased risk for neighbouring communities, puts services at risk and is an impending threat to the safety of city employees working along the pipelines and other services within the servitudes. Both the Transnet pipelines and Sasol gas lines have been compromised.
• Risks of contamination of the City’s water supply
• Illegal mining has resulted in tremors, which risks the structural integrity of our roads, adjacent residential communities and businesses. (Illegal blasting can create a spark that can ignite a fire capable of incinerating an are with a radius of up to 300 metres)
• Illegal mining activities have compromised the pillars that support the decommissioned mines, placing additional risk on the physical structure upon which the pipelines rest and the risking the imminent collapse of the mines
Of significance is the Nasrec precinct, where the Transnet pipelines intersect with SASOL’s gas lines. Investigations have revealed that if illegal mining activity continues within these old mining shafts, the entire FNB Nasrec precinct, including the iconic FNB stadium, could be at risk.
“The time has come for national government to do the right thing, take this matter seriously and act decisively to protect our residents,” said Mashaba.
With respect to the road closure, the following arrangements have been made:
• Traffic detour plans have been put in place to deviate traffic to neighbouring streets like Corlett Avenue and Van Wyk Street.
• Motorists are urged to adhere to traffic guidelines and signage.
Mashaba concluded by saying, “I would like to apologise to all road users for any inconvenience that may be caused as a result of these repairs and rehabilitation work.”
