With patience wearing thin, time waits for no municipal entity.
Gathered in a cul-de-sac in the winter chill, the layers would come off as the hard work got hotter. Members of the Constantia Village Residents Association (CVRA) rolled up their sleeves to fill in the holes that test tyres and suspensions daily. Taking just over a week to raise enough funds to purchase 61 x 25kg bags of tar, the guerilla road crew hit the streets for some routine road maintenance.
Staring on Bontebok Avenue, they moved down onto Duiker Street, snaked up Bind Street and finished on the pothole-laden Van Vuuren Street. The first pothole repair of the morning served as a crash educational course on the easy steps of repairing one’s own potholes. First, one has to clear the pothole of any sand and debris before pouring the tar evenly into the hole. Next, one lights the flammable tar to soften it enough to spread evenly throughout the hole. Finally, to compact, stamp the tar from the outside in before smoothing over the surface.
Over 40 potholes were filled in from just before 10:00 until the 1 525kg of tar ran out just before 15:00. The day’s biggest success was a massive ditch in front of a residential development on Bind Street. The residents in that complex were among the largest contributors and they got their money’s worth as it took 550kg of tar to smooth over the previously undrivable patch.
“We are sick of waiting and sick of empty promises. As a community we decided that we would just do it ourselves. The frustrating thing is that you are told to follow procedure and nothing happens,” said CVRA chairperson, Karen Poole.
CVRA covers everything between Jim Fouche Road and Christiaan de Wet Road, from Hendrik Potgieter Road up to Wilhelmina Avenue.
Thanking her neighbours, Karen added, “CVRA is a tight-knit community of like-minded people who take pride in the area they live in. They look out for one another, and others. The commitment from each member is greatly valued by the CVRA committee. Thank you for responding to the call to action, whether financially, or to assist in the physical labour. It was a great success and I am sure the start of many more community projects. What a privilege to be the chairperson of such a vibrant community.”
