Latest news with #Makhalima
The South African
29-06-2025
- General
- The South African
Are residents allowed to repair potholes? This is what the law says
A group of Sunninghill residents recently took to the streets to patch up potholes themselves. While their actions may have been driven by good intentions, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) says that these DIY repairs are not only discouraged, they're against the law. The JRA was responding to claims that residents, frustrated by delays, had begun handling repairs themselves. Concerned about the danger potholes were posing to drivers, a pothole-repair effort was led by the Sunninghill Community Ratepayers Association. The initiative saw volunteers and residents band together to fix more than 155 potholes after multiple reports to the JRA went unaddressed. While the JRA does welcome community involvement, communications officer Mosa Makhalima says these efforts must still comply with municipal regulations. Makhalima pointed to the City of Johannesburg's Metropolitan Municipality code of practice for work on road reserves, published in the Gauteng Provincial Gazette in 2004. These by-laws are clear: pothole repairs or alterations to roads must not be carried out without written permission from the council. According to Chapter 4 of the code, no person may make or cause to be made any hole, trench, pit, or tunnel on or under any road reserve, or remove any soil, metal, or macadam from the road reserve without the prior written permission of the council, and on payment of the prescribed fee, unless that person is authorised to do so in terms of any other law . Makhalima further explained that even with permission, specific procedures must be followed. Unapproved roadwork can cause further damage and legal issues, where the JRA might be held responsible. She noted that those looking to carry out roadworks on potholes must apply for a wayleave – an official permit issued by JRA – before starting any work. 'We urge community members to refrain from taking matters into their own hands,' Makhalima told the Fourways Review . 'Residents are encouraged to become active citizens by reporting road defects to the City of Johannesburg or JRA through official channels.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
It's illegal to fix a pothole yourself
Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) has confirmed that it is illegal for residents to repair roads, including filling potholes, without prior written permission. This comes after Fourways Review published a story on June 18, detailing how Sunninghill residents, frustrated by JRA's delays, took it upon themselves to patch dangerous potholes in their area. In response to queries about whether such community-led repairs are allowed, Mosa Makhalima, communications officer at the roads agency, said JRA welcomes help from the community, however, this should be done in line with the City of Johannesburg's Metropolitan Municipality code of practice for work on road reserve, published as City of Johannesburg public road and miscellaneous by-law, 2004, in the Gauteng provincial gazette 179 on May 21, 2004. Also read: Sunninghill residents rally to keep their streets litter-free Makhalima said, the by-laws outlined under chapter four of the code of practice, which deals with works on, across, or under any public road, states that no person may make or cause to be made any hole, trench, pit, or tunnel on or under any road reserve, or remove any soil, metal, or macadam from the road reserve without the prior written permission of the council, and on payment of the prescribed fee, unless that person is authorised to do so in terms of any other law. Furthermore, before performing any work in the road reserve, the person who has received written permission must then follow the procedures contained in the code of practice. Also read: JRA is fixing Ward 94's streets 'JRA works on specifications for every roadwork, be it speedhumps, repairing potholes, etc, anything that is not within the specifications that might cause damage to the road reserve, or other vehicles or road users, and JRA might be held accountable. That is why only authorised people, with a permit, are allowed to work on the road reserves. 'Again, anyone intending to undertake work on the city's roads and road reserves must apply for, and obtain, a wayleave from JRA. Wayleave application procedure and application forms are available on the website: Makhalima said JRA welcomes partnerships with other businesses or forums in the fight against road defects, be it traffic lights, potholes, etc, however, this should be done within the aforementioned municipal by-laws. Read more: Disastrous Broadacre roads finally get long-awaited JRA revival 'We urge community members to refrain from taking matters into their own hands. Residents are encouraged to become active citizens by reporting road defects to the City of Johannesburg or JRA through official channels.' Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
