Germiston roadworks project tackles poor conditions

City of Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza declared 2025 the Year of Renewal for the City of Ekurhuleni.

Xhakaza stated that this year is dedicated to revitalising governance, restoring service delivery, and reaffirming its commitment to building a city that truly serves the people.

This was said during his recent State of the City Address (SOCA) which received mixed reactions from opposition parties.

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In efforts to restore service delivery, Ward 92 received a budget of R7m to resurface three roads across the ward.

The mayor has admitted in his address that the issue of potholes is steadily becoming an albatross for the city.

He acknowledged that this is not only impacting on the road users but also on the economy of the region because roads are the backbone of the movement of goods and services.

These sentiments were echoed by Ward 92 Clr Kade Guerreiro who welcomed the news of an allocated budget for road works.

“One of the benefits of the road improvements is that motorists will now be able to travel safely without having to dodge potholes. Some accidents in the past have been blamed on motorists avoiding potholes,” said Guerreiro.

“The goal is to keep our industrial roads clean, safe, and well-maintained, and I’d want to see our residential roads treated similarly too,” he said.

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Though the GCN has received a number of complaints from its readers in the past regarding potholes, the mayor has stated that the city must address the matter immediately to avoid losing crucial investment and jobs.

“The issue of potholes must be quickly addressed through the Hlasela Ama Pothole campaign, which has so far assisted us in closing hundreds of potholes.

“In our efforts to improve the road network in the region, immediate attention will go towards ageing roads, road signs, bridges and culverts,” said Xhakaza.

According to Guerreiro, he was delighted to have received a share of the budget.

“I am glad they are repairing the roads; they had deteriorated over time and needed to be redone. As councilors, we had no say in selecting the routes, but management told us these are the ones that have been chosen.

“Though some of the worst roads in the ward have yet to be allocated, we will continue to push for their improvement,” said Guerreiro.

“The following roads still need attention, Pretoria Road, Oak, Fourth and Second Avenues, to name a few. There is still much work to be done, but progress is being made,” said Guerreiro.

When asked his thoughts about the mayor’s recent SOCA, he said the mayor’s speech makes him believe he lives in a fantasy world.

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“The mayor and his MMCs may pretend to be working on projects, but they do not move quickly enough. Ward 92 has not had any initiatives in the last two years, and patched potholes are reopening.

“On paper, everything is running smoothly but in reality, there is a mess. We have two days of cash on hand at most if we are lucky. Contractors, Eskom and Rand Water are alleging not to have been paid for some of their services.

“We hear about scandals involving some of the leaders in the highest positions. This is the attention that the city does not need. Our difficulties as a ward are constantly expanding, necessitating a multi-departmental response,” said Guerreiro.

Guerreiro noted that he was pleased to see local organisations taking a stand and protecting their community assets.

Initiatives such as Better Bedfordview have inspired other towns, including Primrose, to launch the Better Primrose initiative.

“Even if we have the positives, we are compelled to raise issues and concerns when appropriate.

“Still, on the road infrastructure topic, we ask the city about the missing speed camera on Lazerus Mawela Road, formerly known as Barbara Road.”

Guerreiro believes the camera was taken down by the contractors after the city failed to pay them.

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“The cameras are not there as a system to issue tickets to motorists only, but to advise motorists to slow down.

Speed bumps cannot be installed on a main road hence we had a camera. The road markers are fading, and there is no signage directing drivers to slow down,” said Guerreiro.

The GCN sent a request for comment to the CoE about the missing speed camera on April 1, requesting comment by April 3 at 12:00. A second inquiry was sent on April 10. By the time of going to print no comment had been received.