Although it has been three months since a water pipe burst next to a busy four-way stop in Carletonville, the municipality has still not repaired the damage to the road.

On the morning of November 5 last year residents woke up to the one corner of Van Riebeeck Street next to Coronation Street being flooded due to a burst municipal water pipe. It was not the first time that a pipe burst at this spot.

By the time that municipal workers arrived a few hours later the road was already so damaged by the water that it had to be cordoned off.

As this corner is just across from Hoërskool Wonderfontein, many parents use it to transport their children to and from school. Instead of fixing the road, the municipality did not even bother to replace the barrier tape that disappeared a few weeks later.

Because of the good rain over the festive season the damage to the road has become worse. It is now so bad that motorists driving onto Van Riebeeck Street from Coronation Street have to swerve onto the wrong side of the road, or try to drive over the sidewalk to get around the damage.

“It is only a matter of time before a vehicle would be damaged or an accident would occur because of this. What would happen if some of the school children are injured?” a resident staying close to the damage road remarked recently.

The Herald took the issue to the Merafong City Local Municipality’s marketing and communications manager, Temba Fezani, but received no comment by printing time.