Unanswered questions linger as Cedar and Uranium roads continue to crumble

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19-08-2025
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Fourways Review
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Why do potholes on Cedar and Uranium roads keep coming back? Residents say taxpayers deserve transparency and durable repairs.

Frustrated Broadacres residents are still waiting for answers from Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport after media queries were sent on July 21 regarding the repeated, short-lived pothole repairs on Cedar and Uranium roads.

Meanwhile, Broadacres resident Maj Saffari is among those who say they’ve had enough of what he calls: “Temporary fixes,” and government silence.

“We can no longer afford to put a Band-Aid on open wounds,” said Saffari, pointing out that the same potholes have been patched more than six times since July 2022, only to reopen within weeks. “It’s incompetence. Why is the road agency not holding their contractors liable when the work doesn’t last?”

Saffari’s frustration reflects a broader community concern: That rising taxes are going towards low-quality, repeat work, without transparency or accountability.

“Contractors get richer while taxpayers foot the bill over and over again,” he said. “Why are they not dealing with the road from the root, so we don’t face the same issue every time it rains or a heavy truck drives past?”

Another resident, Tayedza Mbiri, said: “Patching can only do so much. You need to strip down to the foundation and redo the road, also make sure there’s no water pipe leaks. Secondly, the million and one trucks that tend to get overloaded are destroying the roads. I am no expert. These are just level-headed observations.”

While Eugene Taljaard said it is not only a Fourways problem. “The same happens in the roads around Jukskei Park, North Riding, and Olivedale. Patched up one day reopened the next. [Taxpayers] are getting ripped off.”

The following questions were submitted to both entities, but no response had been received at the time of print, despite follow-ups:

• How many times have Cedar and Uranium roads been repaired since July 2022, and why hasn’t a more durable solution been implemented despite ongoing complaints?
• What mechanisms are in place to hold contractors accountable when repairs fail shortly after completion?
• What is the long-term strategy to ensure roads like Cedar and Uranium are structurally improved to withstand adverse weather and heavy traffic?