MMC promises road repair for struggling Winterveldt learners
This comes after the MMC for Roads and Transport in Tshwane, Tlangi Mogale, visited the area and committed to addressing the deplorable condition of the access roads leading to the school.
For months, the gravel road leading to the school has been riddled with deep potholes, uneven surfaces, and pools of stagnant water, making it nearly impassable, especially during the rainy season.
For the learners, getting to school has meant dodging mud, stepping through puddles, and waiting in vain for school transport that often cannot navigate the road.
'I was very disturbed by what I found. The road is in a terrible condition,' Mogale said during her oversight visit.
'Children are struggling to get to school, and buses cannot even reach the gate. This is unacceptable.'
Mogale said the condition of the road was worse than anticipated.
She promised immediate intervention.
'I want to apologise to the people of Winterveldt. I promise to fix this road and make it safe for our children. No child should miss school because of broken roads,' she said.
Parents in the community, long frustrated by government inaction, expressed cautious optimism following Mogale's visit.
'We have been begging for help for years. During the rainy season, my children have to carry extra clothes because they arrive at school soaked and dirty,' said parent Lerato Mokoena.
Mokoena said sometimes the bus just doesn't come, and they miss class.
Another parent, Thabang Mhlanga, said he worries daily about the safety of the learners.
'It's not just an inconvenience, it's dangerous. We've seen kids trip and fall in the mud or try to walk along the edge of the road to avoid the worst parts. If this promise is fulfilled, it will change our children's lives.'
The Tshwane metro recently launched a multi-million rand road resurfacing project across Hammanskraal, Soshanguve, Mabopane, and Ga-Rankuwa to improve driving safety in the northern regions.
The project, which began on May 12, is expected to be completed by June 25.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said over R73-million, excluding VAT, has been allocated to the project, with the most investment in Soshanguve.
'Each project site is overseen by a city-appointed project manager and engineering consultants to ensure strict quality control and accountability.
'Community liaison officers have been appointed in collaboration with local ward councillors to maintain clear communication between residents and contractors, and minimise disruption to schools, businesses, and public transport services,' said Mashigo.
He confirmed that the resurfacing initiatives are part of the metro's broader long-term maintenance strategy, which aims to extend the lifespan of its road infrastructure.
While the current scope is limited to resurfacing, with no upgrade to drainage, signage, or streetlighting, the metro has emphasised its commitment to ongoing infrastructure development.
The project also includes the employment of local labourers and subcontractors, contributing to economic stimulation in the targeted communities.
The metro encouraged all residents to stay informed through their local ward offices and to co-operate with construction teams to ensure the project's smooth completion.
Mogale previously told Rekord the metro's effort to address the growing number of potholes has intensified through the repairs schedule across all seven regions.
She said inclement weather conditions have also played a huge role in slowing down the progress that had been made, particularly in the previous months.
'We are comforted by the fact that we use the city's asphalt plant, and this has assisted in our war against potholes.
'The plant can produce close to 70 tons of asphalt daily for purposes of eradicating these backlogs,' said Mogale.
She said through the planned schedules in various regions, the metro has managed to identify areas that require improvement.
It has now included a monitoring team to conduct quality assurance and assess the quality of work that gets done by the teams.
ALSO READ: DA moves wants to oust Tshwane Speaker in motion of no confidence
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App
Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Daily Maverick
Nature reserve and communities collide in Cape Town's landfill controversy as Coastal Park nears capacity
Cape Town's Coastal Park Landfill faces a critical capacity crisis by September 2026, prompting a controversial height extension proposal. This plan is heavily criticised due to existing informal settlements within the landfill's buffer zone, with concern about permit violations and the city's long-term waste strategy. The Coastal Park Landfill, in close proximity to the larger False Bay Nature Reserve in Cape Town, is rapidly approaching its maximum capacity, projected to be reached by September 2026. To mitigate this imminent waste crisis, the City of Cape Town proposes extending the landfill's height from 45 metres to 67m above sea level. But the proposal has drawn sharp criticism from surrounding communities and groups, including whether this is the right way to deal with the escalating waste crisis and that informal settlements already breach the site's buffer zone, allegedly contravening the permit for operating the site. According to the city, the height extension would extend the landfill's lifespan to September 2028. Extending the lifespan of the landfill by two years will also extend the lifespan of the Vissershok Municipal Landfill Site by about two years to 15 years. But this proposed expansion is mired in controversy as informal settlements around the site have encroached directly on to what should be a 400m buffer zone, raising significant environmental and social risks. The city, in response to Daily Maverick, acknowledged that 'unlawful occupation of land' had occurred within the landfill's buffer zone and it was working through required legal processes to correct this. The inhabitants in the buffer zone have been issued eviction notices. According to a city statement, operation of a landfill in contravention of permit conditions may result in a fine of up to R10-million or imprisonment of up to 10 years. Vrygrond community outcry Michael Khumalo, who runs a recycling centre in Vrygrond and chairs the Vrygrond Community Development Forum — which covers Xakabantu, Overcome Heights, Dubai and Capricorn informal settlements — said the community was frustrated by a lack of consultation. 'We would have expected the first thing is first to engage the community that is going to be affected by anything to come. But that has not happened. In fact what we see, we see in newspapers and so on,' said Khumalo. He said that at a recent community meeting, it was resolved that the Vrygrond community would organise a march to the mayor's office on 2 August to deliver a memorandum of demands — including calls to address the lack of service delivery. Khumalo said people were 'living in terrible conditions' and that many had been there for years, deserving respect and mitigation of their living conditions. When it came to the community moving further on to the buffer zone, Khumalo said this was a contradiction from the city, as it said the area was a nature reserve where people could not live and small businesses could not operate, yet the landfill itself was in the nature reserve, and the city was looking at expanding it. Khumalo said the city's massive recycling plant had been constructed within the nature reserve area, implying a double standard where large businesses were allowed, but small, community-driven ones like his were not. Speaking to Daily Maverick while overlooking the landfill, Khumalo described it as a 'gold mine' because it contained a lot of recyclable materials such as metal and plastic, that should not have been buried. He said that the community had been living off the landfill site for years by picking up reusable and recyclable materials and selling these to buy-back centres – this was one of the few employment opportunities available to the community. Brian Nkhata, a Vrygrond resident and part of the Back to Work campaign, and from the recycling association in the Southfield area, said he was also deeply concerned about the plans for the expansion of the landfill. He said that he had seen people dumping recyclable materials on the landfill site and recounted that the city's actions, such as using a large truck to destroy dumped materials, prevented people from recovering recyclables. Khumalo said, 'You don't fix your shortcomings by expanding. Even if you expand [the landfill], you're going to have a bigger mountain in a short space of time because you are not dealing with the problem. The issue is how do we divert stuff that ends up at the landfill, which should not end up there.' He believed that this was where small community-owned recycling businesses like his, having buy-back centres and working with waste-pickers, should be focused on and supported. Nkhata shared his experience with Daily Maverick. He initially did not know what recycling was, but quickly learnt he could earn a living from it. Since becoming involved in recycling around Vrygrond, he has joined a recycling association and attends meetings and seminars related to recycling. He said many others in the community depended on the landfill site for their livelihood through recycling, just like him. Vrygrond resident Jeanette Manuel has struggled with unemployment for years, but now she makes baked goods which she sells at a complex created out of recycled materials, based at Khumalo's recycling centre. When asked about the community moving on to the buffer zone around the landfill, Manuel said some had moved on to the landfill's boundary wall temporarily due to severe flooding that destroyed their homes during heavy rains last year. She said that this was not a permanent move, as residents needed a dry, safe and warm place to stay, and they knew where the boundary was. She said that the community simply expected the city to consider them as 'human beings' who had no other place to go. Friends of Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei (FOZR) vice-chairperson Tom Schwerdtfeger said: 'Cape Town is running out of space for landfill sites. We should be in top gear with recycling initiatives and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill as much as possible. 'The cost of waste removal is going to increase dramatically in the coming years – Vissershok is in Tableview. If waste has to be transported from Simon's Town across the city, it is going to cost a fortune, let alone concerns about traffic congestion,' said Schwerdtfeger. Destruction of the natural environment Schwerdtfeger told Daily Maverick that the expansion 'cannot be considered' while there were people inhabiting the buffer zone. He said that the buffer zone had not been maintained since 2020, leading to the destruction of the natural environment in the nature reserve. 'If the current site is unable to meet its licensing conditions, then there can be no scope for expansion. Therefore, the land invasion must be dealt with, with urgency, before the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) proceeds further,' said Schwerdtfeger. Schwerdtfeger said the FOZR understood the need for the application for the height extension, as no alternative site for landfilling had been secured to succeed the Coastal Park Landfill Site. 'This in itself is of great concern to FOZR. Refuse removal in Cape Town is probably going to become a much bigger concern in years to come. [The] Vissershok Waste Management Plant is too far away to service the southern regions of Cape Town in a cost-effective manner, and just the traffic implications alone are hugely concerning,' said Schwerdtfeger. He said the Slangetjiebos section of False Bay Nature Reserve experienced an influx of informal settlers during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Schwerdtfeger said the number of informal settlers had continued to increase and that there were around 1,600 informal settlements. 'We are hugely concerned that this section of the nature reserve might be lost forever unless the city takes a firm stance on ensuring the integrity of our nature reserves,' he said. Slangetjiebos is part of False Bay Nature Reserve, which is a Ramsar site, and Schwerdtfeger said there had been many proven health risks associated with people living near the landfill. 'The proposed expansion of Coastal Park Landfill Site exacerbates all these points.' Public health and safety concerns Schwerdtfeger said that with an increase in height, 'it is anticipated that the methane content within the landfill will increase about 19% over and above current levels,' said Schwerdtfeger. When it came to the potential risks of the increase in landfill height without addressing the buffer zone issue first, Schwerdtfeger said they would see an increase in the probability of fires caused by more [waste] pickers on the site and associated health concerns. Schwerdtfeger said the city had not adequately conferred with residents and groups on the buffer zone issue. 'Pamphlets should be distributed to people living within the buffer zone, highlighting the dangers associated with living in the area. Regular interventions and site visits should be conducted by the city health department. If [there had been] adequate engagement, would people still be living there ?' asked Schwerdtfeger. Zeekoevlei resident Susanne Karcher told Daily Maverick, 'I used to go to the landfill monitoring meetings from the city… but I actually stopped going because I felt it's basically a tick-box exercise.' Karcher said it had always been pointed out at these meetings that informal settlement growth in the buffer zone was a critical deviation. She said that everyone would shake their heads and express how terrible this was, but felt that there wasn't any urgency to do something about it, which was why she stopped attending. 'How can the city even start discussing the heightening, or want to discuss the heightening of a landfill, and expanding the footprint — if already in the current footprint, the operational conditions are not legal… We have a 400m buffer zone and informal settlements go all the way to the fence… and the situation is actually getting worse,' said Karcher. Karcher said she understood the landfill constraints of the city, particularly that they had only two landfill sites currently operational (Coastal Park Landfill and the Visserhok Landfill). 'They are between a rock and a hard place… but I also think it is gross negligence,' said Karcher. Karcher suggested that instead of allowing informal settlements to encroach on valuable nature reserves, the city should map and redevelop existing 'brown sites' (for example, former industrial areas) for affordable housing, arguing that this would reduce land invasions. Cape Town's waste strategy The city is in the basic pre-application Basic Assessment Report (paBAR) phase of project approval for its 'possible application' for height extension at Coastal Park Landfill. The paBAR was available for public review and comment to be incorporated into the formal basic application report, which will be submitted alongside the environmental authorisation to the regulator for approval. The paBAR commenting period concluded on Friday, 25 July 2025. Mandy Marr, the city's councillor in the area, said: 'There is no other alternative in place at the moment… It [the landfill] is going to be full by September next year if we don't extend the height. So that is the issue that we're facing at the moment.' Marr said people had invaded the area and were within the landfill's 400m buffer zone. This meant the landfill was now not operating according to the permit, due to the growth of informal settlements since the Covid-19 pandemic. Asked if a new site had been earmarked to supersede Coastal Park Landfill, the city confirmed that it had identified a possible site, and that the public would be informed when the EIA process began. 'The city is preparing for an EIA process linked to the new site and the land parcels earmarked will be identified during the EIA process.' According to a city statement in response to queries from Daily Maverick, 'This extension is intended to accommodate the increasing volumes of waste generated by Cape Town's residents, ensuring continued access to safe, compliant waste disposal services while protecting both the environment and public health. 'Without the additional airspace, the City of Cape Town could face significant traffic disruptions and socioeconomic strain on both residents and businesses.' According to the statement, these impacts could be avoided if approval were granted. It also said that the city's existing refuse transfer stations, the Swartklip Refuse Transfer Station (17km east of the Coastal Park Landfill Site), among others, would be upgraded from an infrastructural perspective to receive greater volumes of waste, particularly household waste, and this would ensure continued waste management service delivery. In the long term, the city said a refuse transfer centre was planned for construction at the Coastal Park Landfill and was slated to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2030 or sooner. 'The city is also working to extend available landfill airspace and defer the need for additional landfill capacity by encouraging waste diversion,' said the city's statement. Among plans for this was to extend the city's Think Twice recyclables collection service to more areas in the coming months, complemented by swap shops, where residents could swap their recyclables for groceries or vouchers. 'Builders' rubble is currently being repurposed for use in [the] construction of roads and other construction projects. There are also plans to introduce additional drop-off sites, where garden waste is chipped (at the larger sites) for off-site composting, and recyclables are sorted for sale into the markets,' said the city's statement. More information on planned efforts to reduce reliance on landfills can be found in the city's waste strategy. The city manages about 2.1 million tonnes of waste annually, with a diversion rate of 31.53% – but like other cities, it faces major challenges in managing waste due to rapid urbanisation, population growth and increasing consumption patterns. This is what we see unfolding at the Coastal Park Landfill. The City of Cape Town officially launched its new waste strategy on 17 July 2025, outlining a roadmap to achieve its vision of a clean city, where residents and businesses have access to quality, well-regulated, sustainable and affordable waste services. DM
IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
Urgent action needed: Freedom Front Plus calls for disaster status in Centurion sinkhole crisis
A recent sinkhole in Jade Avenue, Lyttelton, caused by tree roots piercing an asbestos water pipe, has prompted the Freedom Front Plus to intensify its petition for the sinkhole issues in Tshwane to be declared a disaster area. Image: Supplied The Freedom Front Plus has intensified its campaign to petition the City of Tshwane to declare Region 4 a disaster area due to the severe sinkhole problem, following a recent sinkhole development in Centurion. The party has collected 3,500 physical signatures by visiting schools and engaging with the community, and has also launched an online campaign to gather more signatures. FF Plus PR councillor Wesley Jacobs emphasised that the petition process is transparent, as no ID information is being collected. "I submitted all the information to the council," he said. He cautioned that other political parties are now copying their approach, starting petitions on th same issue, but alleged that these parties are exploiting the issue for political gain by collecting ID information. According to him, there are currently 64 sinkholes in Centurion, highlighting the urgent need for rehabilitation and infrastructure maintenance. A recent sinkhole in Jade Avenue, Lyttelton, emerged when tree roots pierced an asbestos water pipe, resulting in an underground water leak. Jacobs explained that the primary causes of the sinkholes in Centurion are water and sewage leaks on dolomitic soil. The FF Plus is demanding urgent action from the City of Tshwane, calling for the declaration of Region 4 as a disaster area to access necessary funds for rehabilitation and infrastructure replacement. "Decisive action should be taken immediately to prevent the loss of lives," Jacobs said. This demand comes after Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo recently suggested that implementing technology to detect potential leakages could be a more effective solution to the sinkhole problems plaguing Tshwane and Merafong City. Mamabolo urged the two municipalities to work together to tackle the sinkhole problem and provide documentation to support their bids for national funding. A roundtable discussion on sinkholes is planned for the end of July, bringing together experts and stakeholders to find long-term solutions. Meanwhile, Tshwane has budgeted R14.7 million to address the sinkhole crisis, but it's woefully inadequate, as estimates suggest R180 million is needed to fix over 60 sinkholes. Jacobs said: 'The Freedom Front Plus will keep pressuring the Metro to declare it a disaster area so the necessary funds can be obtained from the national and/or provincial disaster funds, as the Metro lacks the resources to replace outdated infrastructure and rehabilitate sinkholes.' [email protected]
The Citizen
25-07-2025
- The Citizen
Handover of new homes, hope in Bronkhorstspruit
Eight new homes were handed over to Bronkhorstspruit residents on July 22, as part of a partnership between the metro and a local mine. The aim is to uplift the community in the east of Pretoria. 'This is a very special occasion, a day that speaks directly to the heart of what public-private partnerships should be about, the development of the community,' said Tshwane Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya. She said the delivery of the houses is more than just a distribution of physical structures, but a demonstration of the metro's commitment to restoring the dignity of its residents. 'We hand over hope, stability, and the affirmation that no one is forgotten, especially those living in rural and historically underserved areas like Zithobeni, Rethabiseng, and Ekangala, within wards 102 and 104,' she said. She emphasised that the handover was a demonstration of the government's commitment to giving people dignified homes and security of tenure. She thanked the metro's partner, Palesa Coal Mine. 'Through this partnership, we are demonstrating what becomes possible when government and the private sector come together with a common purpose – to uplift communities, and deliver lasting impact where it is needed most.' WATCH: She mentioned that the agreement called for the building of 20 houses in Region 7, specifically in Bronkhorstspruit. 'To date, 11 houses have been completed, and three of those have already been occupied,' she said. Moya shared that their selection of beneficiaries was a result of a comprehensive and compassionate process led by the municipality, supported by social workers and dedicated local councillors. 'These beneficiaries are elderly-headed households, child-headed households, and residents who, for years, have lived in structures unfit for human habitation. 'Many of them had long given up hope of ever receiving formal housing,' she said. She stated that the company's participation in the initiative is part of its Social and Labour Plan (SLP), which aligns its responsibility to contribute positively to the development of communities within its area of operation. 'For the City of Tshwane, our involvement in this partnership is not only a demonstration of our commitment to social justice and infrastructure delivery, but also a fulfilment of our Constitutional mandate,' she affirmed. Moya also announced that the metro's 2025/26 budget has allocated funding to fast-track service delivery in Region 7, including Bronkhorstspruit and surrounding communities. 'Specifically, we have set aside R15-million to improve the electricity supply and infrastructure in the region,' she said. She said the funding will go towards the following: – Formal grid connections for residents in Zithobeni Heights, – Strengthening of overhead electrical networks across Zithobeni, and – The replacement of ageing and unreliable electrical cabling in the area. 'We understand that access to reliable electricity is not a luxury, but it is a necessity for education, safety, economic activity, and the overall well-being of our residents,' she said. She said in addition to the electricity upgrades, the metro has also budgeted over R88-million for the provision of bulk water and sanitation infrastructure in Region 7. The breakdown of this allocation includes: – R3-million for toilet reticulation in Ekangala – R25-million for the refurbishment of the Bronkhorstspruit Water Purification Plant – R15-million for the upgrade of the Ekangala Waste Water Treatment Works. Moya concluded by saying the projects are life-changing investments in the physical and social infrastructure of communities. 'They create jobs, restore dignity, and lay the foundation for future development. 'We will continue to seek and strengthen partnerships with other responsible corporate players in the city who, like Palesa Coal Mine, are prepared to walk this road with us,' she said. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
