Frustration is mounting among Pretoria east residents as repeated pothole complaints go unresolved, despite many service requests being logged with the Tshwane metro.

Carina Gauché, a resident affected by a persistent pothole, said the pothole remained, despite her repeated attempts to report it. The situation has already resulted in damage to her vehicle.

“I will also be submitting a claim for my damaged tyres and rims as it seems one just reports for nothing to be done,” she added.

Her experience echoes growing complaints from motorists across Pretoria east, who say they are paying the price for deteriorating road conditions while waiting for municipal intervention.

In response to these allegations, metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the service requests in question have not been closed.

“According to the metro’s records, both service requests remain open on the system and the work is still in progress,” said Mashigo.

He explained that the metro has a formal process in place to ensure repairs are completed before cases are closed.

According to Mashigo, the foreman assigns the job card according to the relevant work, after which an inspection is conducted to verify that the work has been completed.

“The task is only signed off once the foreman has confirmed that the pothole has been properly repaired,” he said.

Mashigo added that closure of cases involves multiple levels of oversight.

He said the foreman and superintendent ensure tasks and costs are finalised before sign-off and handed to administration for closure.

Addressing concerns about multiple reference numbers being issued for the same pothole, Mashigo said this is due to repeated reporting.

“Multiple reporting of the same potholes will result in different SAP/CRM reference numbers,” he said.

He further stated that the metro is not aware of widespread issues regarding prematurely closed service requests.

“The metro is not aware of any misleading information or widespread prematurely closed service requests.”

However, residents argue that the situation on the ground tells a different story, with potholes remaining unrepaired for extended periods despite being reported multiple times.

Mashigo attributed delays to ongoing challenges, including adverse weather conditions.

According to Mashigo, the metro is dedicated to service delivery and is currently addressing the pothole backlog caused by persistent rainfall.

He added that additional resources are being introduced to tackle the growing backlog.

“Extra jetpatchers have been deployed to help reduce the backlog of outstanding pothole repairs and respond to the increasing number of complaints from motorists whose vehicles have been damaged.”

Despite these assurances, affected residents are now turning to the metro’s claims process to recover damages.

According to Mashigo, compensation claims are assessed in line with the law of delict and require proof.

“In order to succeed, all delictual elements must be established, including conduct, wrongfulness, fault, causation and proof of damages,” he explained.

Residents must complete a Public Liability Form and submit it along with supporting documents to the metro.

The form requires detailed information, including: name of third party, name and address of the owner, postal address and contact details, email address (if available), ID number (with a copy of ID attached), vehicle registration numbers, insurance details, and whether a claim has been submitted to an insurer.

The date, time and place of the incident and the date the claim was reported must also be provided.

Once completed, the form and supporting documents must be submitted to claims@tshwane.gov.za, where it will be assessed by the metro’s insurance broker.

While the process provides a route for compensation, residents like Gauché say it does little to address the root problem.

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