Ward 71 councillor, René Benjamin would like to notify motorists and residents that the Johannesburg Water team is aware of the pipe burst along Albertina Sisulu Road.
The water can be seen shooting several metres into the air near the plumbing market, but unfortunately, this is not a quick fix. According to Councillor Benjamin, the last time Joburg Water (JW) attempted to attend to a leak near the Princess informal settlement, their team was hijacked. This has become a common occurrence for municipal entities daring to fix anything surrounding the settlement.
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Consequently, it has been decided that these entities cannot attend to leaks, potholes, and unplanned power outages without an armed escort. Therefore, even though JW is aware of the large burst and is working to resolve the issue, a coordinated effort needs to be made so that the teams can be escorted into the area by armed members of either JMPD or the police. A time needs to be identified when both entities are available and can be on scene together before the pipe burst can be attended to. There is currently no estimated repair time, due to this fact.
The councillor has also said that the Ward 71 urban inspector, along with representatives from JW and the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) visited the site approximately two weeks ago to look into the road works that need to be completed and the recurring leaks, but before anything can be done, a mutually agreed upon time needs to be set.
Queries can be sent to René on 073 734 0061 (preferably by WhatsApp) or by emailing reneb@joburg.org.za.
