Even in forgotten landscapes, the small action of a few can bring hope of saving priceless resources.
The strip of Albertina Sisulu Road in the vicinity of the Princess train station has been a throbbing headache for motorists and residents going back roughly three years. A crumbling road surface, drains clogged with litter and most recently, a burst water main that spewed precious fresh water onto the dirt and tarmac throughout the weekend, are some of the glaring problems begging to be solved.
Read here: Watch: Pipe burst on Albertina Sisulu is not a quick fix
The continuous growth of the Princess informal settlement has compounded the issues, making routine maintenance and repairs dangerous and cumbersome. According to Councillor Rene 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.
Troubles with Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) asphalt plant have exacerbated matters, leaving motorists to gamble when using Albertina Sisulu Road. Head of JRA PR, Sanele Zondi, explained, “An extensive assessment of the operational systems indicated that the overall underperformance of the plant is attributed to issues including internal human resources, supply of materials, and challenges related to the procurement to sustain operations, all of which contribute to the downtime”.
René has also claimed that Ward 71 urban inspector, along with representatives from Johannesburg Water (JW) and the JRA visited the site approximately two weeks ago to look into the roadworks that need to be completed as well as the recurring leaks. A coordinated effort needs to be made so that the teams can be escorted into the area by armed members of either Johnannesburg Metropolitan Police Department or police.
Some may demonise the residents of the informal settlement, but while government departments hesitate to solve the problems, a small group of entrepreneurial workers have taken it upon themselves to try and smoothen the roads surface. Visible in their reflective jackets, Seun Zikalala, Whitey Rampai, Adrian Richards and Martin Sehoho have manned their station almost every day since late last year.
Not formal technicians in any way, the four men work from as early as 6am right through to dusk filling the now massive potholes with rocks and tightly compacted sand. “We noticed all the people getting punctures and we thought this was the best way we could help,” said Adrian, who along with his makeshift crew make an average of R300 a day in donations from appreciative motorists.
By Monday morning, ironically the beginning of National Water Week, the bust pipe had still not been repaired but instead, large rocks and miscellaneous debris was stacked on top of the massive leak, water still forcing its way through the gaps. Time and again, as we see with the road menders and the recent rescue of an infant and stolen pit bull, private sector intervention continues to fill the gaping holes left by public sector dithering.
