Motorists in the east of Pretoria will finally have some relief after long-standing potholes that had become a major frustration were repaired on May 20, through a community-led intervention.

The repairs are part of the Community Upliftment Precinct (CUP) initiative led by the Pretoria East Community Caring Forum (CCF), which partners with residents stepping in to address infrastructure problems affecting daily life in Pretoria east.

Founding director of the CCF, Deirdré van Helsdingen, said worsening road conditions and delayed maintenance forced them to become more hands-on in trying to improve their community.

“The streets had many potholes, some badly cracked, and residents have been struggling with these dangerous road conditions for a long time,” said Van Helsdingen.

She said the repair work started at the corner of Rubenstein Drive and Githa Street before the team moved to the traffic circle at Blouhaak Street and Rubenstein Drive.

From there, repairs continued to the corner of Rubenstein Drive and Streutker Street.

Van Helsdingen said one of the biggest challenges was the intersection at Wekker Road and De Villebois Mareuil Drive, which she described as a constant problem area for motorists.

“At 12:00, we met with TMPD to tackle the corner of Wekker Road and De Villebois Mareuil Drive, which has become a permanent nightmare for motorists and residents alike,” she said.

She said it was extremely dangerous to work there because of the very high traffic volumes, while the potholes there were exceptionally deep.

“But we managed to do the work with the help and visibility of the TMPD.”

According to Van Helsdingen, the team had to work carefully while traffic continued moving through the busy intersection.

“We continuously have to repair this intersection because of the excessive traffic flow and lack of maintenance. This section alone took us two hours to complete due to the traffic volumes,” she explained.

Residents have repeatedly raised concerns about deteriorating road infrastructure across Pretoria east, saying potholes have continued to widen and deepen following heavy rains and a lack of regular maintenance.

Many motorists have complained about rising vehicle repair costs, with damaged tyres and suspension problems caused by the poor road conditions.

She said after completing repairs at the busy intersection, the team moved on to repair another deep pothole at the corner of Wekker Road and Paul Street.

Van Helsdingen said the community initiative would continue, but additional work depends heavily on donations and support from residents and businesses.

“We are currently awaiting further donations to continue addressing the remainder of the long list of potholes in the area,” she said.

She said the ongoing issues also highlighted larger infrastructure concerns in the area, particularly regarding De Villebois Mareuil Drive.

“De Villebois Mareuil Drive was supposed to be upgraded to a dual carriageway years ago when the estates along Garsfontein Road were developed,” she said.

“We need clarity on when De Villebois Mareuil Drive will finally be improved.”

She also praised the support received from the TMPD during the repairs.

“It was a pleasure working alongside TMPD Region 6, Sector 2, under the leadership of Colonel Nadine Bezuidenhout and Shift Leader Warrant Officer Naidoo,” said Van Helsdingen.

She added that co-operation between residents, community groups and law enforcement remains critical to restore infrastructure and improve safety in Pretoria east.

“However, we do welcome and encourage all communities in the area to be part of our project that seeks to make our city work for all its residents,” she said.

“It is only through working together that we can achieve our collective goal of building a capital city that we can all be proud of.”

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