Residents in Meyerspark have raised safety concerns about dangerous holes and trenches left at the corner of Kritzinger Street and Kent Road for more than five months following pipe repairs.
The open trenches pose a significant risk to pedestrians, especially children, and residents fear that the prolonged inaction is creating unnecessary danger in the community.
Ward 41 councillor Ben Chapman said residents have also expressed concern that the trenches left behind negatively affect property values in the area.
Chapman said he has repeatedly escalated the matter, requesting that a maintenance team be dispatched to repair the recurring leak and backfill the holes, but said that for the past five months, his efforts have been met with no response.
According to screenshots provided to Rekord, the councillor sent several messages to the regional team head, but these messages have remained unanswered for months.
His latest follow-up was sent on November 10, with a reminder on November 12, yet no response has been received, and no team has been sent to address the hazard.
Chapman said residents continue to express frustration as the trenches remain open and dangerous.
“The city simply doesn’t care because tell me why they just go around, work and leave a mess without even barricading the site to alert people of the danger hazard,” Chapman said.
On the same street, down Kritzinger, there’s a huge hole left with a pipe still leaking and property owners complain over the piles of soil next to their yard.
Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that the trench had only been temporarily backfilled and said the city is aware of the recurring water leak at the site.
Mashigo said the metro will dispatch a team to repair the leak, properly backfill, clear and compact the area once conditions allow.
He explained that recent rains have made proper backfilling difficult and that the leak at the same spot has now been added to the priority list.
“The metro’s standard turnaround time for backfilling trenches after pipe repairs is 14 days. A team will prioritise repairing the leak and closing the trench as soon as possible.”
He added that the initial investigation showed that the trench had been temporarily backfilled for safety, and that a maintenance team would return to complete the work and ensure the area is properly secured.
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