No timeline for Bram Fischer Drive repairs
A road defect on Bram Fischer Drive, close to St Stithians School, has been escalated by stand-in councillor Bea Campbell-Cloete, but no repair timeline has been provided.
A large hole on the side of Bram Fischer Drive, near St Stithians School, remains unrepaired, with no confirmed timeline for permanent repairs.
Stand-in Ward 102 councillor Bea Campbell-Cloete said she only became aware of the issue after it was escalated to her earlier this month. She officially took up her role on December 1.
Read more: Bram Fischer watering hole still leaking despite repairs
According to Campbell-Cloete, the road defect had not been escalated to her before then. She said she has, however, received numerous reports of potholes and outstanding road reinstatements across the ward since assuming office.
“All reported matters, including this one, have been formally escalated to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA),” she said.
At present, she said, no formal feedback has been received from JRA regarding the status of the Bram Fischer Drive repair.
She explained that feedback is usually provided directly to the person who logged the service request, while councillors typically raise outstanding matters during scheduled Councillor–Entity Forum meetings.
Given the road’s proximity to a school and its high traffic volumes, safety concerns have been raised by residents. Campbell-Cloete said the responsibility for installing barriers, warning signs or other interim safety measures lies with the JRA, but acknowledged that these measures are not always consistently implemented.
There have also been reports of water collecting in the hole. Campbell-Cloete said this would need to be investigated by Johannesburg Water to determine whether there is an active leak.
She explained that the JRA will not proceed with reinstatement work if a leak is present, and added that recent heavy rainfall has made it difficult to establish whether the water is rain-related without a formal inspection.
At this stage, no projected timeline has been provided for permanent repairs.
“As such, a repair timeframe cannot be confirmed without official feedback from the agency,” she said.
Campbell-Cloete noted that there is a significant backlog of road reinstatements across the region. Once the JRA provides projected timelines, she said this information will be shared with residents through the ward councillor’s official communication channels.
She added that the councillor transition period has created additional challenges, as she does not have access to any previous escalations.
“This is a brand-new region for me, and I have to rely on information given to me by residents,” she said.
To address this, Campbell-Cloete has created a Google form for residents to report outstanding reinstatements in the ward.
“It is really horrifying to see the number of outstanding reinstatements,” she said. “Systematically, I will put pressure on the entity and leadership to ensure these are safeguarded and completed as soon as possible.”
She said the safety of road users, residents and learners remains a priority.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
