Residents of Balkan and Ababis street have taken road repairs into their own hands, launching a community-driven pothole campaign on Monday, 20 April, after months of frustration over worsening road conditions.
The initiative was founded by Shakila Hassim and Michael Mhlanga, who say severe potholes had made it difficult for e-hailing services and scholar transport vehicles to access the area.
Speaking to GLOBE POST, Hassim said: “We decided to start the pothole campaign due to the severity and depth of the potholes.”
Mhlanga added that repeated attempts to get assistance from the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) were unsuccessful: “We called JRA, but they never came back to fix these potholes. It’s been three months now.”
The campaign initially relied on contributions from the founders’ own pockets before gaining support from other community members who stepped in to assist.
According to Hassim, the local councillor and JRA officials did assess the road but indicated that the damage required a full resurfacing project rather than minor repairs. “They said the entire street needs to be redone. We couldn’t wait for months, so we decided to take matters into our own hands,” she explained.
She added: “I would like to sincerely thank Ward 120’s committee member for infrastucture, Joy Govender for her unwavering support in the potholes campaign.”
Residents have praised the initiative, saying it has already made a noticeable difference.
Sylvia Molefe said: “We couldn’t get Uber drivers to come inside. I’m so happy that the potholes are fixed.”
Another resident, Sharon Reddy, expressed appreciation for the effort. “I really appreciate Shakila and the team for getting this sorted out,” she said.
Paula Govender noted that the problem typically worsens during the rainy season. “The potholes become worse when it rains. I’m really grateful for this campaign – now we can drive on a proper street,” she said.
The community hopes their efforts will not only improve daily life for residents but also encourage quicker responses from authorities to infrastructure issues in the future.
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