Community organisation AfriForum repaired a large pothole in Mackenzie Street in Brooklyn this week after residents warned that the damaged road posed a danger to motorists.

The repairs were completed on May 22, following complaints from residents in the Brooklyn and Menlo Park areas.

According to AfriForum District Coordinator Pretoria Maree van den Berg, the growing number of potholes across Pretoria east has become increasingly concerning, especially after months of heavy rainfall.

“The need for pothole repairs has definitely increased in the past couple of months, probably due to the continuous rain,” said Van den Berg.

“The Tshwane Metro is seemingly not geared for this, as potholes like this one have been reported for months.”

He said the pothole in Mackenzie Street created a high-risk situation for motorists because of its location on the road.

“The safety of road users is a priority for us and this pothole caused a high risk on Mackenzie Street,” he said.

Van den Berg explained that motorists were forced to swerve dangerously to avoid hitting the pothole.

According to him, the pothole was severe, but its position made it so dangerous, because motorists in the pothole’s lane had to manoeuvre onto the side of the road to miss it and prevent an accident with oncoming traffic.

“To go over the pothole wide-legged was not an option.”

He warned that neglected potholes not only threaten motorists and pedestrians but also accelerate the deterioration of surrounding road surfaces.

Van den Berg said potholes are a huge safety risk for all road users and can cause exponential deterioration of the entire surrounding road if not attended to.

“The safety concern becomes bigger the longer the pothole is neglected,” he said.

He said AfriForum carries out repairs through a Memorandum of Understanding with the metro, allowing the organisation to assist with road maintenance in certain areas.

“AfriForum believes that strong independent communities are the best buffer against state collapse,” he said.

“Therefore, we empower communities through these repair teams to improve and maintain their own roads where the Tshwane Metro fails to do so.”

Ward 82 councillor Siobhan Muller said community organisations and residents have increasingly played a role in maintaining public spaces across Pretoria east.

“AfriForum has been assisting in the ward with fixing potholes and painting of lines,” said Muller.

She said the organisation recently repainted road markings at Laerskool Lynnwood and Laerskool Menlopark.

Muller added that residents, businesses and community groups have also stepped in through Community Upliftment Programme applications and Adopt-a-Spot initiatives to maintain grass, flower beds and open public spaces across the ward.

“Without the care by all these groupings, the ward would not look like it does,” she said.

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok or WhatsApp Channel