Members of Stormill Association held a heated meeting with city officials at the Civic Centre on April 15, concerning the terrible condition of roads in this local industrial hub, which contributes significantly to the local economy as well as employment.

According to Ward 70 councillor Caleb Finn, several streets in this and other surrounding industrial areas are in need of urgent attention to ensure continued investment by businesses in the area, as well as the protection of the about 3 500 jobs supported just in Stormill Ext 2 and 3.

“It’s a relatively small area, but one of great importance to the City of Johannesburg and Ward 70. These businesses serve a variety of industries and contribute solidly to the revenue of the city,” he says.

“I’ve been escalating many of the problem roads to the relevant departments for years, and some of them have become all but unusable.”

The meeting was attended by representatives and owners of businesses in Stormill and chaired by the regional director of Citizen Relationship and Urban Management (Crum) for Region C, Mlamleli Belot. It included representatives from the Department of Economic Development (DED) and the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA).

After a DED presentation in which the idea of public-private partnerships featured heavily, the attention finally shifted to the state of the roads, during which the JRA cited a severe budget deficit and ageing infrastructure as the main causes of road maintenance being neglected.

Among the roads mentioned were Nick Toomey Boulevard, Spencer Road, and Shaft Street.

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JRA confirmed that a team was busy with an inspection of Spencer Road, which runs past the CMR Golf Course, but that any repairs there would have to be accompanied by a restructuring of the stormwater system, which is inadequate to handle the amounts of water flowing through the area.

At Nick Toomey, JRA says they are unable to conduct any work until the illegal mining, which is rampant in the area, is addressed by the relevant authorities.

Stormill Association co-director Leon Hamman interjected, saying that Shaft Street in Stormill is the only access point for many businesses in the area.

“Spencer Road, for instance, has various access points. Shaft Street is the only entrance and exit into Stormill Ext 2 and 3.”

Some business owners, unhappy with the answers provided by the municipal entities, walked out partway through the meeting.

“It’s ridiculous,” said one who wishes not to be identified. “We’re losing customers and are unable to do our work.

“They rely on rates revenue on our properties, but our property values have halved in the last couple of years, mainly due to their neglect of our industrial areas.”