De Villabois Drive ‘infested’ with potholes, motorists demand urgent repairs

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04-06-2025
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Pretoria Rekord
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Moreleta Park residents are fed up with the worsening state of the road, where the potholes damage vehicles and pose serious safety risks.

Motorists in Moreleta Park have raised concerns about the worsening condition of De Villabois Mareuil Drive, which is riddled with potholes.

According to the motorists, the potholes have become a daily hazard, damaging vehicles and raising questions about the city’s road maintenance efforts.

One resident shared a troubling experience, saying that her daughter’s vehicle suffered damage three weeks ago after she drove over potholes on the road. The resident said that despite numerous complaints lodged with Tshwane, no action has been taken to repair the damage.

Residents say the condition of the road is deteriorating rapidly, especially with the frequent passage of heavy vehicles, which further erodes the surface.

Resident Braam Steenkamp said the metro is not doing anything about service delivery in Moreleta Park.

Steenkamp said potholes in the area are often repaired by resident-funded organisations, while they are paying property taxes.

He said the municipality has no urgency in attending to service delivery issues in their area.

Tshwane confirmed it is aware of the potholes along De Villabois Mareuil Drive.

However, according to city spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, there are currently no official complaints that have been logged since August 2024 for the stretch opposite Moreleta Church or near Garstfontein Road.

Mashigo said recent complaints on record instead are linked to Wekker, Jaques, and Delmar streets.

He said the city had been addressing complaints along De Villabois Mareuil Drive between March and mid-May.

He added that although the specific section near the church is not logged on the system at present, the maintenance team would investigate and carry out necessary repairs.

“The city currently does not have enough staff to conduct proactive road inspections. Instead, maintenance is carried out reactively, based on complaints formally lodged through the city’s Customer Care Centre or website.”

Mashigo encouraged residents to report any service delivery issues to the municipality and obtain a reference number.

“A complaint without a reference number cannot be addressed, as every repair job must be accounted for using a job card for audit and reporting purposes.”

He said residents affected by vehicle damage due to poor road conditions can lodge a formal claim through the city’s group legal department.

“A claim form is available for those who wish to pursue compensation.”

He said currently there are no plans to resurface or carry out major roadworks on De Villabois Mareuil Drive in the current financial year, which ends on June 30.

“Until then, residents are encouraged to report potholes with official reference numbers to ensure the city’s maintenance teams can respond,” Mashigo concluded.