Johannesburg Water and the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) have responded to concerns raised by Ward 81 activist Theo Lengwati over River Park’s crumbling roads and persistent water leaks.

Lengwati said residents feel neglected by municipal entities, claiming that they have logged service delivery complaints in the past without getting any resolution.

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Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the entity routinely attends to reported faults and confirmed it is aware of a leak Lengwati flagged along Mapane Street, where a leaking meter has been trickling into an already pothole-scarred road. She said the matter has been escalated for assessment and intervention, and that logged service requests are handled according to operational priorities.

Lengwati had called for both entities to take joint responsibility for road conditions in River Park. Shabalala acknowledged that River Park, like many established areas, experiences occasional leaks on meters, connections and distribution infrastructure. She conceded that unaddressed leaks can worsen road deterioration and contribute to potholes, adding that Johannesburg Water prioritises repairing leaks to limit losses and works with municipal road-maintenance departments to coordinate responses.

She said similar leaks are addressed citywide, each assessed by severity, with reactive repairs running alongside planned maintenance guided by asset condition and available resources.

On the roads, JRA head of infrastructure development Kwazelela Mcetywa confirmed there is no budget for upgrading or rehabilitating River Park’s roads, nor for new projects there. He said the agency’s roads budget has been cut, with remaining funds tied up in projects already under construction elsewhere, meaning River Park has no existing upgrade programme, and assessments will only follow once funds become available.

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Mcetywa said this is despite JRA recognising the importance of fixing the roads and the benefit better infrastructure would bring residents. He said all wards are prioritised in routine maintenance plans, although turnaround times have suffered amid a backlog the agency is still working through. Residents had raised concerns that the agency has neglected their area; however, Mcetywa cited recent activity as proof of engagement, noting a stormwater team was on site as recently as August 29, and crews have cleared blocked drains, including on Thomas Molepo Street.

JRA said it has a plan to clear the remaining blockages and begin repairs, but could not commit to a timeline given the citywide backlog.

The responses follow Lengwati’s criticism that complaints have been logged and escalated for roughly four years, with residents only told issues were ‘noted’. He claimed JRA last worked in the area between 2021 and 2022, reinstating the Phase 3 road, and that watching crews work elsewhere in the ward has deepened frustration. He now plans to launch a community pothole-reporting campaign.

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