Although Roodepoort falls under the municipality of the City of Johannesburg, it still exists as an entity, a town on its own.
Thus there are two sayings that are quite poignant if you look at signage around Roodepoort – first impressions last and it is the small things that matter.
Street names are either old and worn away, nonexistent or, as a new trend, painted over but halfway abandoned.
It is therefore sad that the members of the public who really care about their hometown have to put up with a municipality that seems not to care or, maybe Roodepoort has been swallowed up in the metropolis concept and detail has gone out the window.
Three disturbing examples of this are on Ontdekkers Road and Albertina Sisulu Road. (Interesting to note that when the name change from Main Reef Road to Albertina Sisulu Road had to come into effect, no effort was spared and the renaming and repainting happened almost overnight.)
On Ontdekkers Road travelling from Krugersdorp just before the Corlett intersection there is the small ‘monument’ that also used to be a fountain in its heyday. Now it has been reduced to building rubble and all that is left of the lettering welcoming one to Roodepoort is ODEPO. Ironically there is a newer City Parks sign in calf-high grass just to its right, proudly proclaiming how it is servicing the city.
Then as you enter Roodepoort on Albertina Sisulu Road travelling from Krugersdorp there is also a welcoming sign complete with a map of what used to be a city. This sign and map are so faded, it borders on sad and are symbolic of the do-not-care attitude of the authorities.
Just a few metres away travelling towards Krugersdorp is a Roodepoort/Exit sign on a triangular structure, also derelict.
Most residents the Record spoke to said that as far as they can remember these signs and fountain have been decaying for close to thirty years.
The old lady Odepo surely can do with at least some dentures and a dab of make-up.
