Sandown residents take road repairs into their own hands
Frustrated by deteriorating roads and growing potholes, residents of Sandown have pooled resources to repair damaged streets themselves.
Residents of Sandown Estate have taken matters into their own hands by patching potholes in their neighbourhood after becoming increasingly frustrated by the deteriorating condition of local roads.
During a walkabout with Ward 91 councillor Andrew Stewart and resident Stan Shane, several sections of road that had recently been repaired by residents were inspected.
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According to Shane, the initiative was born out of growing concern among residents over the worsening state of the roads. “The deteriorated state of the area was starting to frustrate the residents.”
After discussing the issue among themselves, residents decided not to wait for repairs and instead contributed towards purchasing tar to fix the potholes. “We found out that Builders sells 25kg of tar for approximately R150, and the average pothole in this area took about half a bag,” said Shane.
Pointing to one particularly large pothole, he explained that the repair required three bags of tar.
“That one was one that if you drove in it, you would have to fix your rims and buy a new tyre.”
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Shane said the repairs were straightforward and affordable. “It is an easy job, we didn’t take long, and it wasn’t expensive.”
Stewart acknowledged that road maintenance should remain the responsibility of the municipality, but said the residents’ efforts demonstrated how quickly visible improvements could be achieved.
@caxtonjoburgnorth Sandown Estate residents have joined forces to repair potholes themselves, citing ongoing road deterioration. Video: Duduzile Khumalo #caxtonlocalmedia #newsupdate #Localnews #Communitynews #southafricatiktok🇿🇦🇿🇦 #johannesburg #2026 #Servicedelivery #Sandton #Citizenservice #SOUTHAFRICA ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North
“Residents shouldn’t be doing this, but seeing these fast results, it is somehow helping the residents with the service delivery.
When residents step up to the plate, this is the result, and look how easily it was done.”
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