Residents take repairs into their own hands as potholes plague Moreleta Park
Volunteers patched more than 15 major potholes in two days, saying the situation had become too dangerous for motorists and pedestrians to ignore.
After months of unfulfilled promises and a growing safety hazard, the local Community Caring Forum (CCF) in the east has stepped in to repair pothole-ridden roads in Moreleta Park.
According to the CCF, they did what the metro has failed to do: repair the roads.
The pothole repair drive spanned two days and covered several roads:
– beginning at the corner of Wekker Street and Rubenstein Drive,
– moving through Van Bergen and Helios streets,
– then circling back to Rubenstein, Picasso, and finally De Villebois Mareuil Drive near Moreleta Church.
In total, over 15 major potholes were patched.
Deidre van Helsdingen, founding director of the CCF, said the intersection of Wekker and De Villebois Mareuil Drive in Moreleta Park has long been a dangerous intersection for residents, plagued by persistent potholes and recent sewage damage.
“This is a critical intersection used daily by residents travelling to work and school,” said Van Helsdingen, a representative of the CCF.
She said their primary concern is the safety and upliftment of their suburb.
“We can no longer wait for the city to act while our roads deteriorate and endanger lives,” she said.
According to Van Helsdingen, the potholes at this intersection were first reported on July 15.
She added that by July 30, no repairs had been made.
“The city often cites a lack of materials, particularly asphalt, as the reason for delays,” she noted.
“With no action forthcoming, we decided to act.”
Van Helsdingen added that some potholes were 300mm deep and dangerous, made worse by non-functional streetlights.
“The risk of vehicle damage or accidents, especially at night, was simply too high to ignore.”
She said Moreleta Park residents have also expressed frustration that De Villebois Mareuil Drive, between Garstfontein and Delmas roads, remains in poor condition despite past promises of an upgrade.
She expressed her gratitude to Adriaan Odendaal, who provided tar and Moreleta Park-based company MPM Construct, which also trained CCF volunteers in proper pothole repair techniques.
She said the CCF has committed to continuing repairs in other areas if funding and materials become available.
“We are a registered Community Upliftment Project with the City Manager’s office. We are ready to do the work, but we need support,” said Van Helsdingen.
She added that anyone interested can contact the organisation via email at info@ccf-group.co.za, and urged residents to get involved.
“We all pay rates and taxes, and this work should be done by the city. But when service delivery fails, we need to help ourselves. Residents can support us by volunteering, donating or simply joining the CCF.”
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