Kew residents fill pothole despite Joburg Roads Agency’s promise
Ward 81's Joanne Horwitz criticises the Johannesburg Roads Agency over slow response times, underfunding, and politicised service delivery in her constituency.
Kew residents continue to express concern over deteriorating road conditions, particularly at the intersection of 9th Road and 4th Avenue, where a dangerous pothole has yet to be repaired, two months after it was first reported.
Ward 81 councillor Joanne Horwitz says her urban inspector initially logged the issue with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) on March 6 under reference number 8006644623.
Despite a Service Level Agreement mandating the JRA to repair 90% of potholes within 30 days, the repair has still not been completed.
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“It is consistently difficult to get reliable information from the JRA about when issues will be resolved. This is not just a minor inconvenience. These delays pose real risks to motorists and pedestrians alike.”
She attributed part of the delay to chronic underfunding of the agency.
“The recent R300 million cut from JRA’s budget has only worsened an already fragile service. The Democratic Alliance opposed the budget cut and would have rather increased funding to ensure better road maintenance and improved service delivery.”
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In response to media queries, the Johannesburg Roads Agency confirmed awareness of the pothole and said repairs were imminent.
“The JRA is aware of the potholes on 9th Road at the intersection with 4th Avenue, Kew. Kindly note the road defects have been inspected, and according to the Depot, the repairs are scheduled for next week,” said Bertha Peters-Scheepers, Operations Manager for Marketing and Communications at the JRA.
Horwitz also raised concerns about how service delivery has become politicised.
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“There is a pattern where resources appear to be allocated inequitably by the current governing parties. This undermines the very essence of fair governance.”
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