Festive fury: Residents deck potholes in Christmas protest

Residents of Ward 97 have taken an unusual approach to highlighting the worsening state of their roads by decorating potholes with Christmas ornaments.

The festive protest has caught the attention of the community, with baubles, tinsel and humorous signs now marking the spots where infrastructure has failed. Beyond the lighthearted display lies a deep frustration that residents say has been growing for years.

According to Yvonne Ackerman, director of the Wilgeheuwel Honeydew Ridge Residents Association, the problem is widespread. The decorated pothole sits on Florin Road, but other surrounding streets, including Sixpence, Fiver and Dariek, are all riddled with craters.

“Many of them have been neglected for years, and rain has only accelerated their deterioration,” she added.

Residents continue to feel the financial and safety impact of these crises. Ackerman explains that potholes have caused damage to several vehicles in the area, especially during rainy weather when the water makes them nearly impossible to see. The worsening conditions have also led to collisions and near collisions, leaving many drivers and pedestrians feeling unsafe on their own streets.

Despite the community’s repeated efforts to report the potholes, residents claim repairs rarely happen. Residents often escalate their concerns directly to Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) management, but she claimed the city does not respond with meaningful action.

Resident Brandon Wright said these potholes have caused many accidents lately.

“Someone bumped me in my driveway because they were turning away from a pothole. A food delivery driver didn’t see the pothole because there were no barricades,” he said.

Ackerman told the Roodepoort Northsider that when repairs are done, they frequently fail within days because of poor workmanship.

Ward 97 councillor Jacques Hoon has pushed back, calling the blame and criticism misdirected. He emphasised that the JRA, not councillors, is responsible for road repairs.

He explained that he has repeatedly reported and escalated the reinstatement on Florin Road, just as he does for similar issues across all 17 suburbs in the ward. However, he said councillors lack the authority to instruct officials or direct operational departments.

“The JRA is under the authority of the mayor and the governing administration, not the opposition councillor. Anyone who took the time to make and plant a sign could have spent that time far more constructively by engaging the JRA directly or attending one of the many public meetings I have held that address service delivery,” Hoon expressed.

He argued that while political theatrics might make striking visuals, they do nothing to fix infrastructure or speed up the agency’s work.

“Unfortunately, it’s not up to JRA, but Johannesburg Water (JW). The entity is waiting for an order from JW as it is their site. They must conclude their works and ensure that all is good, then send us the order to do the reinstatement, at a cost,” Tebogo Mogashoa from JRA told Hoon.

Hoon encouraged residents to continue reporting potholes through official channels and to send him their reference numbers for escalation. He insisted that this remains the most effective way to obtain repairs, even within a system plagued by administrative and operational failures.

Anoushka Fourie, another resident, said the number of potholes in the area is unacceptable.

“Service delivery is nonexistent. We have to drive on the wrong side of the road when exiting our gate and pray that no one comes around the corner.”

Although the decorated potholes bring a moment of laughter to the neighbourhood, they underscore a serious message – residents feel neglected, unsafe, and increasingly desperate for basic service delivery.

The Northsider contacted JW for official comment on the ongoing crisis. As soon as it is received, a follow-up article will be published.