Residents of Birchleigh call on CoE to resolve leaks and potholes

Residents of Birchleigh have called on the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) to repair roads in the area that recent water leakages and potholes had damaged.

It had swept away large portions of the tarred roads and residents called for better services.

The residents said they are also concerned about the state of their roads and are worried about clean potable water wasted down the road at the corner of Ysterhout and Matumi avenues.

According to Ward 15 sector representative of environmental services, Phineas Momoti, the road had been in a state of disrepair for three years.

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“We have tried to report the matter to the municipality several times and there is no luck.

“We have never seen anyone concerning the road damages.

“The road is affecting us in terms of traffic because you have to wait for an oncoming vehicle to pass before you can drive through. It wastes our time and the tyres get damaged.

“People who are new users of that road always damage their vehicles on that particular street,” said Momoti.

He added the water department must attend to the water leakages on time, as prolonged leaks negatively affect residents.

“We are scared to log complaints of water leakages because we know they will leave the holes open for years.”
He urged the CoE to make sure water leakages on the streets are repaired timeously.

“For all the years I have lived in Birchleigh, it is constant and persistent and the water leaks reoccur every three months or so,” said resident Geneve Christopher.

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“The broken road is from the last burst pipe that the municipality never ‘reinstated’ and repaired the road. With the way it currently is, we cannot drive on the correct side of the road for fear of damaging our cars.”

“Only one vehicle can drive at a time. The community accommodates each other, but it is dangerous and we are waiting for an accident to happen.”

She said another reinstatement that has not happened in months is at the corner of Geelhout and Matumi roads, a block away, where motorists can only use one side of the road.

Christopher said residents have reported and escalated issues countless times and have references to prove it.
“They have not been here, not that I am aware of, to repair this road. They fixed the burst pipe months ago, but have not fixed the road.

“We now need to report the new water leak, which has sprung yet again. And the rain will not help with the crater.”

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Christopher added the intersection is like an obstacle course.

She said they could compare the one side of the road towards the train station to a crater in the middle of the lane.

“One has to swerve between the oncoming lane and balance your tyres between the crater and three to four potholes, while the oncoming cars wait for you to pass because two vehicles cannot drive through that section on opposite sides of the road.”

“This is very unsafe and as a community, we all predict an accident there soon.

“I am frustrated to see clean water running on the road during these difficult times of water shortages.

“Do we have to report the same incidents repeatedly then weeks later, with countless logs, follow-ups and escalations?

“A leak is fixed, and they leave the road in a mess. Then another leak occurs a few months later, and then it is an endless frustrating cycle. Every time I need to use that section of the road, I get reminded of how the road is messed up.”

According to Ward 15 Clr Amanda Davison, all road conditions have been and are reported by residents and escalated to the relevant departments by herself.

“The Birchleigh Storm Water System is collapsing, causing sinkholes at various locations because of non-maintenance for over 20 years.“

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She said the Birchleigh system upgrade began at the end of 2021 at the bottom of Cloete Road where they installed new stormwater pipes.

“I commended the Roads and Stormwater Department for their thorough investigations and plans.”

Davison said all roads in Ward 15, Kempton and the CoE are becoming inaccessible.

“Ward councillors are inundated with complaints of potholes becoming craters especially after a rain storm.
“Every complaint with reference numbers is escalated accordingly.”

She added the Water and Sanitation Department has dealt with a multitude of bursts and sewer blocks and overflows.

“Unfortunately, again, they are under-resourced to deal with the ageing, unmaintained infrastructure. This includes reinstatement of roads after repairs.

“The IDP process has commenced for the 2024/25 and three-year budget plans.”

The Kempton Express has requested a comment from the CoE. The comment, when received, will form part of a follow-up report on this matter.