London Road reduced to a crime hotspot, says councillor
Alexandra councillors urge Johannesburg Members of the Mayoral Committee to address multiple challenges along the London Road.
No streetlights, gaping potholes, illegal connections, and water streaming across the road – these are just some of the issues councillors say have turned London Road into a crime hotspot.
Ward 107 councillor Floyd Ngwenya said the road, which connects Alexandra to surrounding industrial hubs, had become the pressing issue they all share as councillors.
Read more: Alexandra’s London Road features on JRA’s city-wide resurfacing programme
“It’s the centre of the problems we have. There are no lights, and the potholes and water running down the street have reduced it to a crime hotspot,” Ngwenya said. He was raising service delivery issues plaguing Alexandra residents during the city’s high-impact service delivery programme in the area.
He said the city must find a permanent solution to restore the road and improve safety. One of the key concerns he raised was illegal electricity connections, which Ngwenya said account for half of the problems in the area. Ward 76 councillor Zandile Mothopi said illegal connections have worsened to such an extent that they were now affecting nearby schools. “They’re stealing electricity from the school. The principal said their bill is higher than it used to be,” she said.
MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services, Jack Sekwaila, responded to Ngwenya’s concerns, noting that they would deal with illegal connections and assist City Power by bringing in JMPD and SAPS.
Also read: Protest on London Road
On numerous occasions, the utility, in collaboration with law enforcement officials, has targeted the informal settlement responsible for some of the illegal connections along the London Road. Just earlier this month, the utility confiscated 8 000kg of mixed aluminium cables and wires with an estimated value of R300 000.
In a statement released after the cut-off operation, the utility’s CEO, Tshifularo Mashava, expressed concern about the impact of these connections. “The resistance to buying electricity is unacceptable, resulting in loss of revenue, destabilisation of our network, and most importantly, posing danger to the community,” she said. “We will not tire in our efforts to correct this disruptive habit.”
Apart from the issue of illegal connections, Mothopi stressed that there were multiple schools along London Road, yet no signage or traffic lights to protect learners.
MMC for Development Planning Eunice Mgcina said the city had noted the concerns and would use the current budget to address them. “A lot is happening here in Alexandra. With the budget allocated for this financial year, we hope the situation on London Road will be fixed,” she said, adding that the city must install traffic lights near schools to help children cross safely and reduce the risk of accidents.
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