Claims of millions paid, but little seen: Fourways councillor demands answers on Beverley infrastructure spending

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10-06-2026
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Fourways Review
Source

Beverley is booming with new developments, but residents say the suburb’s infrastructure is failing to keep pace, despite alleged millions in developer contributions meant for upgrades.

In the rapidly expanding suburb of Beverley, the steady rumble of construction vehicles has become part of the daily rhythm, a constant reminder of growth that is outpacing the infrastructure meant to support it.

As new residential complexes continue to rise in response to mounting housing demand, the systems beneath them appear to be straining under the pressure of rapid development.

According to Ward 94 councillor David Foley, despite significant financial contributions from property developers to the City of Johannesburg, funds specifically allocated for water, roads, and sanitation, he said, residents are still confronted by deteriorating streets, blocked stormwater systems, and limited pedestrian safety.

In an effort to better understand how these funds are managed and spent, questions were submitted to municipal officials on May 26. These included:

• How developer contributions for infrastructure are processed, allocated, and monitored, and which departments are responsible for ensuring proper expenditure.
• Despite substantial contributions linked to new developments, why are there still visible service delivery challenges in Beverley, including road maintenance delays and stormwater issues? Where are the funds going?
• Are developer contributions ring-fenced for use within the immediate development area, or are they pooled into broader municipal infrastructure budgets?

However, the city’s response to these concerns has been limited. Foley acknowledged the scale of development in the area but said he remains concerned about the condition of local infrastructure.

“What concerns me is where this money is going?” Financial records seen by Fourways Review reveal substantial developer payments into municipal infrastructure funds that Foley said have not translated into visible improvements on the ground.

One development alone reportedly contributed R600 000 for water infrastructure, R1.2m for sanitation, nearly R1m for stormwater systems, and R15,000 for transport-related upgrades.

For another nearby complex, developers reportedly paid R114m toward sewer infrastructure, almost R900 000 for water services and more than R780 000 for roads. Yet residents, who continue to pay monthly rates in addition to these development-linked charges, said the benefits remain difficult to see.

“Stormwater drains don’t even go to the river; they actually go through a complex. So, whenever there’s a flood or a sewer spill, that actually goes into the complex. The money should really be used, at least some of it, to upgrade the area, and that has not been done,” said Foley.

The City of Johannesburg, Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and Johannesburg Water were also asked to respond to the following:

• What planning and prioritisation process is used to ensure that rapidly developing areas like Beverley receive timely infrastructure upgrades alongside new developments?
• Can the city provide an update on the current backlog of infrastructure maintenance and planned upgrades in Beverley, including timelines for roads, drainage systems, and pedestrian infrastructure?

Bertha Peters-Scheepers from JRA said on June 8 that the roads agency is working on a response, and asked for additional time as there will need to be a consolidated response from the city. Johannesburg Water was yet to respond.

An update will be provided once responses are received.