Residents in the vicinity of Amarant Street are fearful of the fast-approaching rainy season as the threat of flooding looms large.

Gabions installed along the stream at Dolfhout and Amarant Street were severely damaged during the massive rainstorm in December 2023, which caused widespread flooding throughout the Northside.

According to resident and Riverwel Residents Association (RRA) committee member Simone Kemp, it is a question of time before the fast-eroding stream bed, which borders her house, breaches her boundary wall.

“This issue has been reported on multiple occasions, both by residents and officially by the RRA, but we’ve not had any real interest from the entities.

“Our ward councillor has also reported the matter, and he even brought officials here to show them, but nothing has come of it.

“The gabions on both sides of the park have completely collapsed. The road surface is cracking already. If this is not urgently attended to, I fear everyone downstream from here can ready themselves for a very tense rainy season.”

CPF member Tony de Castro, who also lives along the waterway, adds that this problem has been ongoing for years.

“We’ve had so much damage over the years that it’s impossible to count it all up.

“There have been endless pipe replacements and repairs, but nothing has been effective.

“Our roads are in terrible condition due to the resulting erosion. Every rainy season, the stream comes down and floods, and the sewage pushes up into our homes and yards.”

The Roodepoort Northsider sent questions about the damaged stormwater system to the Johannesburg Roads Agency, but no answers have been forthcoming as yet.