Excavation on Mngeni Road in River Club continues to disrupt daily life

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24-02-2026
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Sandton Chronicle
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Despite repeated reports to Johannesburg Water, a pipe burst and a deep excavation between on Mngeni Road continues to pose safety risks for River Club residents.

What began as a routine pipe burst repair has become a prolonged source of frustration for River Club residents, as incomplete reinstatement work continues to disrupt daily life on Mngeni Road.

The deep excavation site has remained open since early December after a pipe burst required emergency attention. While initial repairs were undertaken in December, the area is yet to be fully restored, leaving sand piled along the roadside and an unresolved leak preventing the backfilling.

Ward 103 councillor Lynda Shackelford said the delay highlights broader concerns around turnaround times for municipal infrastructure repairs. “This area, on Mngeni Road, has been like this since December. The problem here that is Johannesburg Water (JW) came out, on February 2, to do a backfill on an excavation on Van Meurs Avenue, which is not far from this one, but they couldn’t backfill this one because they found that there is a leak again.”

According to Shackelford the matter has been re-reported to JW, but ongoing service delivery delays have left the site in limbo. “My biggest issue now is that the resident can’t repair their paving, or their pavement. There’s a mound of sand on the road and this road is dark at night because the street lights aren’t working. We’re going to have a car drive into this, or someone falling into the hole. There are a lot of animal walkers and people here.”

Shackelford called on JW to prioritise outstanding reinstatement work, particularly where incomplete backfilling disrupts neighbourhoods. “Johannesburg Water needs to start catching up on jobs like this. Especially where the backfilling, the sand, and all of that is causing a disruption to the area.”

The publication reached out to JW for a comment on February 18, 20, and again on February 23, but no comment was received by the time of print. Updates will be provided once they become available.