Bronkhorstspruit farmer spent R160,000 to resurface roads municipal maintenance left to decay

A Bronkhorstspruit resident spent R160,000 of her own money to resurface roads around her farm after the City of Tshwane failed to maintain them, opposition politicians said.

Resident pays for repairs after years of neglect, DA says

Opposition parties in the Tshwane metro have blamed poor governance for the deteriorating condition of roads, particularly in Bronkhorstspruit. DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink said a Bronkhorstspruit resident spent R160,000 to resurface roads around her farm because the city did not maintain them.

Brink said the roads were regularly used by the city’s sewage vehicles travelling to the sewage treatment plant next to the property.

“What I saw was not simply a case of potholes or poor road maintenance. It was a clear example of how municipal failure is disrupting livelihoods, damaging local businesses and forcing residents to pay for services that the city should provide,” Brink said.

City outlines ongoing road work and standards

The City of Tshwane has described a range of road and excavation work under way. Mayor Nasiphi Moya and the municipal MMC for roads and transport were observed at the #ReASpana project in Pretoria East and Marabastad, where roads were being marked and potholes repaired.

MMC for roads and transport Tlangi Mogale said the city procured two new marking machines in July and that the city’s road marking programme resurfaced 52km of road during the 2024–2025 financial year across regions one, two, three and four. Mogale said progress had been made on road resurfacing in ward 29, Mabopane.

City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo provided details on excavation work and repairs. Mashigo said the standard turnaround time for the backfilling and rehabilitation of excavated sites is 14 days.

Mashigo said the open excavation on Weir and Tuin streets was backfilled and a tar patching order is in the pipeline. A team was also backfilling the open excavation on Lynnwood Road near Loftus Versfeld Stadium. She added that not all excavations along Lynnwood Road near Loftus have been closed because a few stormwater junction boxes are still under construction and stormwater pipes are still being installed.

What this means for residents

The facts presented by the DA and the city show competing narratives: the opposition points to individual residents paying for repairs after alleged municipal failure, while the city lists resurfacing totals, equipment upgrades and ongoing excavation backfill work.

The specific case highlighted by the DA a resident spending R160,000 to resurface roads around her farm that are used by municipal sewage vehicles remains the central example cited of local infrastructure frustration.