Watch: Douglasdale’s Balder Road ‘pool party’ pays off after Helen Zille comes for a swim
The city has finally acted on a 3.5-year-old water leak following a swim visit by Helen Zille, but residents are asking: if the resources were always available, why were they left to endure years of disruption?
Just days after Douglasdale residents hosted a ‘pool party’ by the leaking excavation on Balder Road, there has finally been movement, and this time, it is not just the water flowing but long-awaited repairs.
Following coverage by the Fourways Review on March 25 and growing attention on social media, residents were surprised by a visit from Democratic Alliance’ City of Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille on March 28, who also visited to take a swim. .
Read more: Potholes multiply as water leak forces excavation of Broadacres Drive
Residents say by the morning of March 29, trucks from Joburg Water and Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) arrived on site, beginning extensive work to flush out the pooled water, repair the leak and install new pipes till late.
While residents welcome the sudden action, many question why it took so many public escalations to get the issue to be fixed.
Resident Susan Mottram said that for more than three and a half years, they have logged complaints, made calls, and received multiple reference numbers, all with little to no lasting solution. While the road deteriorated, potholes worsened, and the persistent leak became part of daily life..
Also read: JRA admits rubble is theirs contractor stored
“Only to take one media coverage and site visit by Zille to get the city get this infrastructure fixed.”
Mottram confirmed that initial work has been done, including flushing out the hole, fixing the leak and installing new pipes, but noted that the project is not yet complete.
“Joburg Water still needs to return to fill the hole, and then the Johannesburg Roads Agency will reinstate the road.
“Importantly, that hole is the priority, but it is not the only issue. The rest of the road needs to be repaired; in fact, it should be resurfaced from that point all the way down to Alexander Avenue.”
Despite the progress, the situation has left residents questioning the system.
Why did it take public pressure, media coverage, and a high-profile visit for action to be taken?
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