Residents of the Old Trafford Townhouse complex on Rupee Road are calling for urgent intervention after repeated flooding caused by an overgrown and obstructed river.
The latest heavy rains, which hit Roodepoort on March 25, once again left parts of the complex underwater – just weeks after a similar storm on March 5 caused severe flooding across the area and led to the collapse of the complex’s perimeter wall.
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The flooding issue stems from a river that has lost its natural course due to overgrown vegetation and reefs, making it unable to handle the volume of water during heavy rains. Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) confirmed that no recent maintenance has been done in the area due to budget limitations.
Responding to inquiries, Gugu Zondi, the manager of Integrated Catchment Management at JCPZ, acknowledged that maintenance in Strubens Valley has not taken place recently.
“We schedule our areas once per financial year due to our limited budget. The last time we conducted operations was in October 2024 in Witwatersrand Street,” she said.
Zondi added that while plans are in place to address overgrown vegetation in catchment areas across Johannesburg, a backlog caused by the rainy season and financial constraints has delayed response times.
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“We are currently aiming to address all complaints in the schedule by the end of this financial year, which is June 2025,” she said.
Naomi Smith, one of the trustees at the complex, says residents are now forced to take extra precautions to protect themselves.
“We have to patrol the area at night to ensure residents’ safety. The flooding has left us vulnerable, and we urgently need assistance from the relevant entities to prevent this from happening again,” she said.
While JCPZ has an internal team and appointed service providers working on maintenance, priority is often given to urgent complaints.
“Once a complaint is received, a site visit is conducted within three working days, and a response is provided within seven days of the inspection,” Zondi explained.
Residents of the affected complex are hoping their complaints will be treated as a priority before further flooding causes significant damage. They are also calling for better collaboration between JCPZ and other relevant entities to restore the river’s natural flow.
According to Zondi, such partnerships are possible.
“Collaboration with other city entities is always a good idea, and efforts are always made to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are included in service delivery.”
Those affected can report complaints about catchment areas to JCPZ by calling 011 791 1117 or emailing Zondi at gzondi@jhbcityparks.com.
