The City of Cape Town says it is aware of the high number of potholes along parts of Jakes Gerwel Drive.

Following the nearly two weeks of severe weather conditions, many of the metro’s roads suffered damage, causing the formation of potholes.

Speaking to Radio 786, Chairperson of the United Residents Association in Mitchells Plain Norman Jantjies says the issue of potholes is not restricted to just Jakes Gerwel Drive, but even right in front of the Mitchells Plain police station.

Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas says due to Cape Town’s hydrological year only ending around October, the city’s roads would remain wet and damp for prolonged periods of time impacting road repair work.

However, it does have a strategy to conduct interim repairs to roads even during the winter periods. Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility Rob Quintas explains that every year the city fills up potholes with a temporary repair or cold mix.

“The expensive hot mix that we normally use from October all the way through to December, and again after the builders break in January; doing massive road resurfacing around the City of Cape Town. That can only be done with a more permanent repair – which is far more expensive”, said Quintas.

“That can only be done when the there has been a significant amount of dry days when the asphalt in the surrounding areas are relatively dry.”

Quintas further added that due to Jakes Gerwel and AZ Berman Drive largely being transformed into a construction site to build infrastructure to accommodate MyCiTi busses, the contractor Martin and East is responsible for ensuring that the areas around its construction site is safe.

He has urged affected residents to lodge formal complaints so that the contractor is made aware of the safety risks its construction site poses and that it can effectively respond.