For nearly a year, the intersection of Bram Fischer Drive and Jan Smuts Avenue has played host to a man-made swamp that refuses to dry up.
On January 30, stand-in Ward 102 councillor Bea Campbell-Cloete returned to the site, only to find the same stagnant pool that has frustrated residents since early last year.

What was supposed to be a routine fix has turned into a symbol of municipal stagnation. Originally opened by Joburg Water for repairs, the road was slated for reinstatement back in September. Yet, four months past the deadline, water is still bubbling to the surface, creating a hazard that motorists are forced to navigate daily.

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“The leak has been going for almost a year,” Campbell-Cloete said during her site visit. “It’s been reported and escalated, yet people are now collecting water here, putting themselves in danger on this busy road.”

The scene is a stark reminder of the city’s infrastructure woes. The hole is currently ‘guarded’ by a ring of old tyres, a makeshift warning system that has become a permanent fixture of the landscape.
“I keep asking what is going on,” Campbell-Cloete added. “I’m told it will be fixed, but it stays like this. I will be pushing for real answers on when this will finally be resolved.”

For those living on the streets, the leak is more than an eyesore; it’s a necessity. With the city’s summer heat in full swing, the pool has become a desperate watering point.

@caxtonjoburgnorth WATCH: Stand-in Ward 102 councillor Bea Campbell-Cloete addresses ongoing concerns at the leaking site on Bram Fischer Drive, saying the issue has persisted for nearly a year despite repeated reports and repair attempts and A man collects water from the leaking pothole on Bram Fischer Drive, which has become a makeshift watering point despite safety and health concerns. Video: Nkazimulo Ncube #Randburg #Ward102 ♬ original sound Caxton Joburg North

“People come here to fill containers because there is nowhere else,” a nearby resident explained. “You see people washing right next to the traffic. It’s dangerous, but they feel they have no other option.”

Sipho, who lives in the area, noted that even after the Joburg Roads Agency (JRA) attempted to intervene, the water returned almost immediately. “Even after they worked on it, it keeps coming back,” he said. “We use it to cool off or wash.”

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With Randburg currently in the peak of its summer rainy season, the timing couldn’t be worse. Every afternoon, the possibility of a downpour could add to the stagnant water, further eroding the road and increasing the risk for drivers.

The Randburg Sun has reached out to both JW and JRA to ask why this leak remains ‘unfixable’, but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Until then, the tyres remain, the water flows, and Bram Fischer Drive remains a work in progress.

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