By Mzukona Mantshontsho
This is Central Africa Drive on the way to Sgodiphola Secondary School in extension 6 Cosmo City. The school was given the name S’godiphola Secondary School by the informal settlers who moved to Cosmo City.
S’godiphola Secondary School was established in 2008. It is the second high in Cosmo City –north of Johannesburg (the first public private partnership worth R3.5Billion in South Africa). Cosmo City emerged out of an urgent need to provide accommodation for the informal settlers of Zevenfontein and Riverbend who had been illegally occupying privately owned land 25km North West of Johannesburg CBD. The school was given the name S’godiphola Secondary School by the informal settlers who moved to Cosmo City.
This road is badly damaged, you wonder how damaged the scholar transport that uses the road everyday will be by end of the year, there is a bus that transports learners who live in Zandspruit Informal Settlement to school everyday. There are teachers who use their cars every morning to school, there’s private scholar transport cars that use the same road daily. We demand the immediate fixing of this road.
Local government sphere is critical for providing essential services to communities, promoting sustainable economic development, and ensuring a safe and healthy environment.
Voting gives citizens a voice in governance and decision-making processes. By casting their ballots, South Africans can contribute to the selection of leaders who will represent their interests, values, and aspirations in government.
Yo School Magazine spoke to the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) and they had this to say:
Can you provide a detailed update on the current status of the Cosmo City Road repairs, including any specific milestones or timelines?
Cosmo City Roads repairs are ongoing. The biggest factor in road damage in Cosmo City is greywater and sewer that runs unchecked onto road surfaces. This also presents challenges in initiating repair works as roads must be completely dry in order to ensure quality, long-lasting repairs. The JRA completed the following maintenance work in Cosmo City in the last financial year ending June 2025:
· Patching of Roads – 1556 m2,
· Potholes Repaired – 920,
· Clearing of Blocked KI’s – 55 No.,
· Clearing blocked pipe conduits – 245 m,
· Clearing and shape open channels – 150 m,
· Road markings – 598 m,
· Grading and Blading of Gravel Roads – 3000 m2,
· Vegetation Control (Skoffelling) – 3595 m2,
· Clearing of Kerbs & Gutter – 123 m.
What factors contributed to the project’s delay beyond the anticipated completion date of June 2025, and how do you plan to mitigate similar issues in the future?
There is currently no project in Cosmo City, it is only routine road maintenance both proactive and reactive which is informed by calls logged by the community and inspections undertaken by JRA depot inspectors.
What is the revised project timeline, and what measures are being taken to ensure its completion as soon as possible?
Maintenance is ongoing with no set timeframe; however, the repair of Central Africa Drive will be completed before the end of 2025
How will the JRA maintain transparency and communication with affected residents throughout the remainder of the project?
The Region’s weekly road maintenance schedules are communicated to the office of the Regional Director as well as Ward Councillors. Residents can also contact JRA directly for updates either through the JRA hotline or the Regional Depot.
What steps will be taken to prevent similar delays in future road maintenance projects in Cosmo City, and how will the JRA prioritize these projects moving forward?
Cosmo City is unique from other wards; it is inundated with greywater and sewer that constantly run on the road surface leading to damage of the road surface and road pavement structure. These also pose a massive problem in repairing of roads in line with the JRA’s customer standard chatter.
31 years into our Democracy!
Observing the politics, emotions and theatrics at play every time there is a change in leadership; people react either with enthusiasm or strong resistance.
Our reaction to new leadership is based on the reputation of the existing leadership, combined with expectations and hopes of improvement from the new one.
Either way, the introduction of new leadership brings with it a weird mixture of uncertainty, combined with hope and excitement.
If we do not like our leaders, we must banish them,
if we do not like our government, we must fight to change it,
If we do not like the way things are going, we must speak out and stop it,
Building a great South Africa is the job of each one of us.
We can never entrust that to just a few people seated in the comfortable seats of OUR BURNT parliament – but we can direct them.
