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'People see the government and municipalities are neglecting their responsibility. We need to do it ourselves'
The City of Tshwane. Picture: iStock
Civil society organisations and community members continue to carry the responsibility of repairing potholes around Pretoria, while the municipality stays mum.
Last Wednesday, Betereinders cofounder pastor Johan Erasmus and his team took to the streets with the NG Oosterlig en Dialogue community as part of their Gatvol pothole project to fix over 100 potholes in the east of Pretoria.
“We used over 100 of 35kg buckets of pothole mix with over 100 people helping,” he said.
“People see the government and municipalities are neglecting their responsibility. We need to do it ourselves.”
Erasmus said there was no better feeling than seeing black and white people working together.
“Passing motorists encouraged us. They brought us something to drink. It was as if we were building or paving a road. It was like paving the nation,” he said.
‘More than 10 potholes in one stretch’
Last year, AfriForum volunteers’ initiative to fix a pothole in Centurion was cut short after they were forced to stop by the Tshwane Metro Police department.
In October, following the removal of Cilliers Brink as the mayor and election of ActionSA’s Nasiphi Moya, her MMC of environmental affairs and agriculture, Obakeng Ramabodu, said he was going to propose that the memorandum of understanding between the City of Tshwane and AfriForum be cancelled.
AfriForum district coordinator for greater Pretoria North Llewellyn Hemmens said they were constantly busy with repairing potholes. Hemmens said they have already used 20.25 tons of tar for potholes this year.
Residents have been reporting multiple potholes around the city, including Olympus, Nieuw Muckleneuk, Villieria in the Moot, Doornpoort, Capital Park, and Brooklyn.
Residents claimed some roads have more than 10 potholes in one stretch alone, with traffic circles not excluded.
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Water leaks covered and left
DA ward 85 councillor Jacqui Uys said last week the potholes on the corner of Libertas and Furrow Road in Equestria were caused by a water leak that was simply covered and left.
“One cannot make this up. The city today came and just threw some tar in the holes without fixing the leak. They left the big excavation that causes half of the road to be opened as it was.”
Uys said the road has been undrivable since the middle of January.
“The mayor claimed Tshwane has only five potholes, Equestria alone had 197 – yet the community, along with the Equestria JEA and DA volunteers, has been working together to fix 100 of these and will continue until Equestria is pothole-free,” she said.
City officials have yet to respond to the issue of potholes in the city.
NOW READ: Tshwane under pressure as residents complain about water outages, power and potholes
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