IN less than a week, the 12 potholes that have been giving residents of Andries Road in Old Bethelsdorp grief for the past few weeks, had increased to a whopping 26.
Ward 35 councillor, Helga van Staaden, is at her wits’ end. She believes that these potholes not only pose a threat to motorists and small children who play in the street, but also affect the Bay’s water shortage since fresh water flows freely from the potholes.
“It’s very frustrating,” Van Staaden said as she removed her sandals and stepped into the largest pothole, the water covering her legs all the way up to her knees.
“These are recurring leaks because some of them have been fixed by the municipality.
“However, it doesn’t last long. There is no point in fixing the potholes if the municipality doesn’t fix the root of the problem – the leaks,” she added.
Van Staaden concurs that the NMBM tries their best to come and assess the situation whenever she reports these issues, but that they don’t always manage to fill the potholes properly. “The origin of the leaks needs to be found otherwise all their work is for nothing.”
A community volunteer, Gordon Norris, said that his main concern was the safety of the children in the street. He pointed to two large tree trunks placed strategically in the road next to the largest pothole. “Members of the community placed the tree trunks here to warn motorists of the danger ahead. This is a necessity, especially at night when the street is poorly illuminated and the potholes are not always visible.”
Norris also added that he fears the day when a car swerves to avoid hitting the potholes and hits a child instead. “Imagine what could happen if children decided to start playing in these potholes full of fresh water, especially since it’s so hot these days. It could lead to their death.”
A concerned resident, Ebrahim Michillies, said that Bethelsdorp needed to be treated with more respect, especially since it is the oldest neighbourhood in the city’s northern areas and should be considered a heritage site.
“We have been struggling with these potholes and leaks for months. No one cares about Bethelsdorp.”
Another resident, Noël Oosthuizen, said he is most concerned about the fresh water that is being wasted. “We have a water shortage and not all of us have the knowledge to properly make use of the leaks to conserve water, so what are we supposed to do now?”
NMBM spokesperson, Kupido Baron, said that as a serving councillor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, Councillor Van Staaden has an obligation to raise and introduce pertinent matters in committees, but most importantly come up with governance solutions.
Meanwhile, the DA caucus-leader, Jonathan Lawack, recently said during a media briefing that there are a total of 11 000 water leaks all across the Bay.
