AFTER four years of residents calling for action over a Westville North road which was damaged during flooding, and seemingly left neglected, it is finally being fixed.

The area’s PR councillor Smoh Xulu said this period of inaction by the eThekwini Municipality has been marked by “relentless community advocacy” and applying “pressure on municipal leadership” to repair Beaconsfield Road which had “dangerously deteriorated”.

Xulu said the repair work commenced on Monday, June 23, a “breakthrough” she said was a result of her “intensified efforts by taking the matter directly to the highest levels of municipal leadership, including formal correspondence to the City Manager”.

“This strategic escalation, combined with sustained media attention and community pressure, finally forced the municipality’s hand. This road has been a death trap waiting to happen for four years. While the municipality dragged their feet and offered empty promises, residents were forced to risk their lives daily, using their only access route to their homes. It took me numerous calls, numerous emails and a lot of effort; going all the way to the top – directly to the City Manager – to get action,” said Xulu.

Xulu said according to the workers on site the repair programme includes:

• Complete road resurfacing.
• Structural excavation and foundation repairs.
• Safety barrier reconstruction.
• Drainage system restoration.

“This victory demonstrates what can be achieved when residents refuse to accept municipal negligence. Through strategic pressure, persistent follow-up and escalating concerns through proper channels, we’ve finally secured the action this community deserved years ago. The repairs are expected to restore full safe access to Beaconsfield Road residents, ending years of dangerous conditions that should never have been allowed to persist. I also appreciate that these repairs can proceed without causing major traffic disruptions to the broader road network, as Beaconsfield Road serves primarily as residential access within our community. This allows for comprehensive repair work to be undertaken efficiently while minimising impact on traffic flow,” said Xulu.

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The municipality’s spokesperson Gugu Sisilana confirmed that the repair work of Beaconsfield Road in Westville North commenced on Monday, June 23.

“There is currently one lane that is accessible for vehicles due to the construction work underway, and the other lane has been barricaded since the damage from the floods. The scope of work includes a retaining wall using gabions, backfilling and resurfacing. The project is expected to be completed soon,” said Sisilana.

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