For years, a steady stream of water has trickled down Martin Manzi Street, pooling at the intersection with Mary Thema Street. Residents say the water comes from a nearby house.

The stream has turned the area into a persistent mess, exacerbated by a blocked storm water drain, clogged with dirt and discarded tires.

Read more: Repairs for 6th Avenue storm water drains in the pipeline

Despite resident Sarah Maake reporting the issue to Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) in early June, nearly three months later, the problem remains unresolved.

Maake said the matter was escalated to Ward 105 councillor Tefo Raphadu on June 25, but she received only a curt: “Noted,” in response. Follow-up attempts on June 30 and July 9 allegedly yielded no reply from Raphadu.

Maake shared that when JRA came, on August 14, she thought they were going to unblock the drain, allowing the pool of water stuck on the surface of the road to be channelled into it, but even after the visit, the problem persists, and the residents did not receive any update.

“They came last Thursday, but all they did was open the storm water drain and leave,” Maake said.

Residents worry the unchecked water flow could erode the road, creating potholes. Another resident, Jabulani Lengoati, raised safety concerns, pointing out that JRA left the storm water drain uncovered, without cordoning off the area, posing a risk to children. “Now it is left opened. They took the cover and they put it on the side, and there are children here who could fall into that.”

Alex News reached out to JRA, and it said it would investigate and revert with responses. Raphadu also promised to send a team to investigate the matter, but as the issue persists, the residents are just waiting for JRA to come back to fix the problem.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!