Residents lament the decay of Alex streets
Residents accuse the city of leaving Alexandra's roads to rot, but the city reports that there is work underway to address the current challenges in the region.
Some roads in Alexandra are ravaged by potholes and cracked asphalt, and residents attribute this decay not only to heavy rains, but also to municipal neglect. They say numerous streets including 19th Avenue, 16th Avenue, and Sam Buti Street have deteriorated over time.
Read more: A picture poacher is on the loose on the streets of Alex
Despite the City of Johannesburg’s patchwork repairs, residents still believe the municipality has left their infrastructure to decay.
However, as part of their routine maintenance across the region, Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) recently posted pictures of pothole repairs and patching they had done on Alfred Nzo Street on X. This follows JRA’s report about the progress of deep patching on 8th Avenue in Alex last month.
But some residents, including Katlego Thobejane, a taxi driver in Alex, say they always drive across streets with potholes, and the city is not doing anything to fix them.
“We are always on the roads. We would have seen them fixing the roads. So, they don’t. As transporters, it affects our wheel alignment and suspension, and it forces us to spend more on repairs,” Thobejane explained.
At the intersection of 16th Avenue and Sam Buti Street, a stream of water seeps through cracked asphalt, creating smaller potholes down the street.
Ward 116 councillor Adolph Marema acknowledged the delays in repairing the street, but he refuted claims of municipal neglect. He insists that the city is aware of these issues.
“There was a JRA assessment conducted last week on Sam Buti Street. It was done to determine whether the street needs resurfacing or patching. As long as the water still spills into the streets, there can be no resurfacing or patching.”
While the city’s plan to fix the roads stalls, Thobejane says the water from blocked sewers is increasingly eating through the tar every day, making the roads more difficult to use.
Also read: JRA issues urgent warning as potholes multiply amid heavy rains
Ward 105 councillor Tefu Raphadu says the problem is exacerbated by residents who spill water on the already affected roads. He acknowledged residents’ suffering due to the prolonged exposure to sewage, and further noted that plans to repair the affected areas are underway.
“Some people in my ward are affected by the overflowing sewage, especially those along the Jukskei river. But, Johannesburg Water has appointed a contractor who is going to address the issue. The contractor will start on Monday [April 7].”
Foster Malema, a hawker on 19th Avenue, said he is worried about a small pothole near Alexandra Zion Christian Church. “When it rains, and the drains overflow, the water flow destroys the road bit by bit.”
Request for further comment from JRA was not obtained at the time of publication.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We’d love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts!
Related article: Avoid dismantling JRA barricades
