Fed-up residents in La Montagne, east of Pretoria, have planted a tree inside a trench in the middle of the road in Kandelaar Avenue.

This was after the Tshwane metro had left the trench open for more than 18 months, after finishing repairs of an underground pipe.

The residents described the trench as dangerous, being in the middle of the road, and it has continuously caused safety issues as well as worsened the road conditions.

The trench was left open after municipal teams repaired an underground water pipe. During rainfall, it fills with water, while vegetation and frogs have taken over, making the hole difficult to see and dangerous for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists at night.

Despite repeated complaints and assurances from the metro that the issue would be resolved, residents say nothing has been done.

On March 13, 2025, Rekord reported about the trench being left for more than seven months. At the time, the metro indicated that the trench would be attended to and fixed.

However, months later, there is still no evidence of proper backfilling or road reinstatement, prompting residents to take matters into their own hands by planting a tree as a warning sign.

Residents described the situation as unacceptable and dangerous, saying it reflects prolonged neglect and poor service by the municipality.

Ward 41 councillor Ben Chapman confirmed that the trench had already been seven months old when a follow-up was made with the metro in March 2025, yet it remains unresolved to date.

Chapman said he has repeatedly raised concerns about the serious safety risks posed by unfilled trenches, particularly in Kandelaar Avenue, warning that the situation could lead to accidents and further road damage.

“The trench has been left to deteriorate, filling with water, causing cracks in the road and allowing vegetation to grow. This is dangerous and completely unacceptable,” Chapman said.

He said the water and sanitation team fixed the pipe, but did not backfill the trench.

“This was supposed to be co-ordinated by the department together with roads and transport to tar the section after backfilling.”

Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the municipality maintains that the trench was backfilled and that only tar patching remains outstanding.

Mashigo said the pipe at the site had been repaired twice, and on both occasions the trench was backfilled.

He added that the matter has since been escalated to the Roads and Stormwater Section, which is responsible for the specialist work required to complete the tar patching.

“The city has now dispatched a backfilling team to the site to remove the tree planted by residents and level the trench, while a follow-up will be conducted with the Roads and Stormwater Section to complete the road surfacing,” Mashigo explained.

He further said the metro is working to improve co-ordination between repair and reinstatement teams through more effective engagement between the backfilling teams and the Roads and Stormwater Section.

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