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Residents of Bramley North hold Johannesburg Road Agency responsible for missing manhole covers
One year down the line, missing manhole covers in Bramley North have continued to plague residents. The community believes poor service delivery, especially in road maintenance and grass cutting, is at the heart of the problem.
Residents are growing increasingly frustrated as the problem of missing manhole covers worsens, and they feel that the Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) is not doing enough to address the issue. The absence of these covers poses a significant danger to the community.
Altaaf Adam, a community member in Bramley North, expressed their concerns, stating, “We discovered another manhole near Boreo Road after having to physically supervise the grass being cut by a private company. The manhole has accumulated a lot of rubbish, which leads to road flooding when it rains. The response we got from the ward councillor is that he will let JRA know about this.” Adam also highlighted how overgrown grass had become a contributing factor to criminal activities in the area, with instances of individuals being followed and almost robbed.
Andrew Stewart, the Bramley North ward councillor, acknowledged the JRA’s poor performance regarding manholes. He stated that it often takes over a year for a reported missing manhole cover to be replaced. Stewart also pointed out that the JRA depot faces funding constraints, which hinder its ability to maintain a regular stock of manholes and road barriers.
Also read: Buccleuch Residents Plagued by an Open Manhole on Parkville Road
In addition to the risks posed to pedestrians, open manholes also pose a danger to motorists. Nishani Govender, a Bramley North resident, emphasized the risks involved, stating, “The open manholes not only pose a risk to pedestrians, as one could quite easily fall into them, but those on the roads are also a risk to motorists. So aside from injured pedestrians and damaged cars, it has also become a place for overnight vagrants to keep their belongings—which include stolen items, of course.”
The uncut grass along Boreo Road, which runs parallel to many back walls in the area, has become a high-risk zone with a rise in burglaries and hijackings. Despite multiple complaints, the grass is often cut only after several weeks. Then it takes several more weeks before it is raked and picked up. This delay exacerbates the problem as the cut grass enters drains and open manholes.
Mosa Makhalima, the JRA spokesperson, assured the community that the query had been forwarded to the relevant depot. An inspection is scheduled for early next week to determine the availability of manhole cover sizes and to verify if the manholes belong to the JRA. The residents of Bramley North hope that the JRA will take prompt action to address the ongoing issue of missing manhole covers and improve the overall maintenance of their roads and public spaces.
Source: Bramley North residents blame Johannesburg Road Agency over a missing manhole cover
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Picture: Twitter / SiphoTeddy
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