Johannesburg residents are now ‘adopting’ potholes to address road neglect

A grassroots effort in Freeway Park, Boksburg is tackling neglected potholes in the neighbourhood.

Spearheaded by resident John Harris, the ‘Adopt a Pothole’ initiative is a novel way of reinstating local roads by encouraging fellow residents to take matters into their own hands.

Tons of tar

The quirky concept is simple: residents can choose to adopt a pothole, and contribute towards costs or offer to repair the pothole/s themselves.

“The project speeds up service delivery, compared to council tenders, which usually yield low productivity,” Harris told the Boksburg Advertiser.

He noted that over the past 18 months, the community has used roughly six tons of tar to patch up potholes.

This hands-on approach he believes empowers the community to address road defects that have long been neglected.

Harris said these growing defects in the local road network have been damaging people’s vehicles and causing traffic congestion. He expressed his frustration with the metro’s lack of initiative in maintaining public infrastructure.

A notable success of the initiative was the collective effort to repair Sonskyn Road on New Year’s Day, showcasing the community’s will to improve their surroundings.

“We are bound to have potholes until the government starts looking after its revenue base, spends money responsibly and prioritises service delivery,” added Harris.

“Residents need to realise that this programme has helped to show that politicians are not the solution. Citizens can help save their town from further decay.”

Johannesburg Roads Agency sheds light on ‘what is causing potholes’

Meanwhile, the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) recently ‘shed light’ on how a popular road in Sandton became riddled with potholes.

The JRA issued a response to complaints about the condition of Achter Road in Sandton.

Khayalethu Gqibitole, the acting regional operations head at JRA, said the potholes are caused by water leaks. He assured the public, however, that this water damage is routinely inspected and repaired.

“It is actually the water leak that created a pothole on the road,” Gqibitole said.

“Alternatively, excavations to repair water pipes can damage the road surface, though these areas are later repaired or reinstated.”

“The JRA is aware of the reinstatements through routine inspections and communication with Joburg Water, as well as through the wayleave process,” he added.