“You will see that we are going to do pavement rehabilitation works. These pavement damages are caused by the communities themselves, by the residents.”

These remarks were made by MMC for Transport Kenny Kunene during the launch of Operation Restore in Ivory Park at the corner of Riverside and Limpopo roads on February 18.

Kunene said, while the city is investing in road repairs and storm water upgrades, community behaviour is contributing significantly to infrastructure damage. “Car washes damage our pavement infrastructure. They damage our roads.

Read more: MMC leads by-law enforcement campaign in Midrand central business district

Abomama [women], they do laundry, and water runs on the pavement. It runs onto the road, and it damages the road.”

He added that blocked storm water kerb inlets (KIs) are a major concern. “You, the community, are the ones who blocked the KIs. Our storm water drainage gets blocked by the communities.

We even find newborns. Our people are traumatised, and they find them in our storm water drainage. Abomama are cooking on the side of the road, and throw everything that is considered dirt into the storm water drainage.

“We keep coming back and doing the same things every year, twice a year. It’s not sustainable. So, councillors, can you run those programmes? Those campaigns, and talk to the community, so that they don’t damage their own infrastructure. It is your infrastructure.”

Joined by ward councillors, municipal officials, and residents, Kunene acknowledged that roads in Ivory Park and across Region A are in poor condition.

“I know that the roads are bad. We had maintenance of the asphalt plant for over a month, and we could not produce asphalt from the middle of December until the middle of January. So, the backlog is huge. We accept that.”

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However, he said Operation Restore, introduced in 2023, is aimed at accelerating service delivery, by bringing in teams from other regions to maximise output and address multiple wards simultaneously.

The programme is being rolled out in wards 133, 77, 78, 110, 92, 111, 112, and 132, with Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) leading the technical interventions.

Among the key interventions are the repair and rehabilitation of Riverside Road, installation of subsurface drainage along June Road, painting of pedestrian crossings in high-traffic zones, and urgent road safety upgrades on Belvedere Road. Crews are also clearing blocked storm water systems, resurfacing damaged sections, patching potholes, and repainting road markings.

Over 100 gravel roads still await tarring in Ivory Park

Also present at the launch was regional director Thaba Makgafela. “I have seen the criticism surrounding JRA in various parts of the region, and from community members. However, after meeting with the councillors from Region 2 last week, I recognise the number of issues they are concerned about.

“Despite this, it is clear that we are successfully implementing this programme. JRA is performing admirably in the region, and we genuinely appreciate the substantial efforts being made on the ground.”

Work has already begun on Thulare Street, where underground water seepage has been steadily eroding the road surface. Contractors are installing subsoil drainage pipes to prevent future deterioration and extend the lifespan of the road.

Also read: Residents question JRA turnaround time amid mounting road damage

Along June Road, a new storm water KI is under construction, to control runoff and prevent flooding, while surface patching is underway in several sections.

Ward 77 councillor Yoliswa Twala and Ward 133 councillor Teboho Marumo highlighted the pressing need for road upgrades in their areas. “In Ward 77, we’ve got about 50-something gravel roads that need to be tarred,” said Marumo.

“In Ward 133, we’ve got about 61 gravel roads that need to be tarred. So, your presence here gives us comfort that indeed, as you come for the second time, next time we’ll see more radical programmes that will give our wards a tar road because we are suffering from the gravel roads that we have.”

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