The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) says repair work is planned to start in April for the parts of the greenbelt area and nearby roads in Weltevreden Park that were damaged by heavy floods last year.

During a site visit with Welridge Residents Association liaison officer Audrey Vrachionidis, the Roodepoort Northsider observed visible road damage and signs of a collapsing embankment in the area.

Residents shared their frustrations about the condition of the greenbelt since the March 2025 floods, which caused damage to embankments, smaller bridges and nearby stormwater infrastructure.

According to Vrachionidis, the flooding also washed away precast slabs in a wall on vacant land bordering JG Strydom Road, in line with the sinkhole on Cockspur at the stormwater drain leading into the greenbelt.

She said residents paid to repair the wall themselves after vagrants moved onto the vacant land and started damaging structures near a cell tower.

Responding to questions from the Northsider, JRA head of Department for Regional Operations Khayalethu Gqibitole said the agency has assessed the affected area on Rooihout Avenue.

“The eroded wall resulted from heavy rains and flooding. Designs for the remedial work are currently in the final stages. There are plans in place to construct the gabions in April and ensure that the stormwater channel(s) are/ is functional,” said Gqibitole.

He said repairs had not yet taken place because technical assessments and designs first had to be completed.

“Preliminary assessments and designs for the remedial work had to be undertaken to ensure that the scope addresses the affected infrastructure. Once designs are finalised, then the remedial work can be implemented,” he said.

Gqibitole added that no major obstacles had delayed the project and confirmed that funding had already been allocated from JRA’s operational budget. He also said the repair work falls entirely under JRA and does not require intervention from Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo, as it relates specifically to gabions and stormwater infrastructure rather than greenery or horticultural areas. The planned gabion work is also expected to help prevent similar damage in the future.

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Vrachionidis also raised concerns about the sinkhole on Jim Fouché Road, which she believes may be linked to previous work by Johannesburg Water and worsened by heavy truck traffic.

She added that although JRA repaired a large pothole near the intersection just off Hyacinth, a deep indentation remains in the road, creating a possible safety risk for motorists.