Days after Douglasdale, Sandton, residents hosted a ‘pool party’ at a leaking excavation on Balder Road, they were surprised when DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille visited the site and took a swim, reports Fourways Review.

This follows March 26 coverage by the Fourways Review of the so-called ‘party’ – in reality, a tongue-in-cheek public protest – which attracted significant attention on social media.

Residents say by Sunday morning – the day after Zille’s swim – trucks from Joburg Water and Johannesburg Road Agency arrived on site, beginning extensive work to flush out the pooled water, repair the leak and install new pipes.

While residents welcome the sudden action, many question why it took so many public escalations to get the problem addressed.

Resident Susan Mottram says 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.

She says it took ‘media coverage and a site visit by Zille’ to get the city to act.

Mottram confirms that initial work has been done, but notes 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.

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