The pool of water that has had residents in Sarafina Street in Ikageng up in arms is due to a collapsed road as a results pipe leakage and underground water seepage.

According to JB Marks Municipal Spokesperson, Jeanette Tshite, the Roads and Storm Water Section of the JB Marks Local Municipality was notified of the infrastructure challenge along Sarafina Road in Ikageng, Ward 1, following which an investigation was conducted.

“A municipal team was subsequently dispatched to the site to address the identified problem. Trench excavation is currently underway, with the use of a V8-capacity water pump to drain the accumulated water and trace the source of the leakages. Progress on site is currently estimated at 20%. The work includes repairing the damaged pipes and laying dam rock to help control and stabilize the underground water flow beneath the road.”

ActionSA in JB Marks has also shared its concerns about the situation, stating that this is another instance of severe infrastructure failure.

According to ActionSA, the sight of unpaved neighbourhood roads filled with rainwater and toxic runoff is a stark reminder of the institutional apathy and failed municipal planning that continues to strip township residents of their basic dignity.

“When a simple seasonal rain transforms neighbourhood streets into impassable channels, it does far more than disrupt daily traffic. It enforces a cruel form of socioeconomic isolation.”

“Emergency vehicles cannot reach families in crisis, public transport operators refuse to risk their vehicles, and local businesses are cut off from suppliers. Poor infrastructure is a deliberate physical barrier to economic mobility, keeping township communities artificially marginalised,” said ActionSA Constituency Chairperson Mr David Kham.