Residents in Oranjezicht, Gardens and Vredehoek in Cape Town’s City Centre are raising growing concerns over deteriorating road conditions, repeated infrastructure failures and incomplete reinstatement work following trench and pipe repairs.
Roads repeatedly raised by residents include Belvedere Avenue, Upper Orange Street, Alexandra Avenue, Forest Road, Myrtle Road, Clifford Road, Belmont Road and Wyngard Road.
Nuusflits has received multiple photographs, service request references and reports from frustrated residents who say road repairs are either not lasting or are being left incomplete for extended periods. Resident Anthony Rees said it was “completely unacceptable” that it can take up to nine months to restore roads after trenches are dug for water and sewage repairs.
Maintenance standards slipping
“We’re paying some of the highest rates, yet the decline is obvious. Hold your leaders accountable. There’s a maintenance standard that’s been in place for decades and it’s now being lowered without any clear explanation,” Rees said.
Several residents have also raised safety concerns regarding open holes, unstable road surfaces and trenches left exposed, particularly in Oranjezicht. One resident said Oranjezicht was “beginning to look like a deserted mole colony”, while another questioned the quality of reinstatement materials being used, claiming the tar mixture was “simply a temporary fix” that collapses again shortly after repairs are completed.
Particular frustration has been directed at the corner of Upper Orange and Belmont Road, where residents say repeated work over several years has resulted in recurring collapse and dangerous dips forming in the road surface. Belvedere Avenue has also repeatedly been raised, with residents alleging that resurfaced sections have failed again following subsequent pipe bursts.
Nuusflits has also seen service request records linked to Alexandra Avenue dating back to November 2025 and February 2026 that residents claim remain unresolved despite allegedly being reflected as “actioned”.
Targeted plan to improve turnaround time
Responding to questions from Nuusflits, Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral committee member for Water and Sanitation, said the City of Cape Town is currently verifying and addressing approximately 7 000 historical trench reinstatement cases across the metro through a targeted programme aimed at improving turnaround times, oversight and contractor performance.
According to Badroodien, around 75% of identified backlog cases have already been verified and measured on site to determine outstanding reinstatement requirements.
He said reinstatement work linked to current infrastructure rehabilitation projects in Myrtle Street, Upper Orange Street and Belmont Avenue would follow immediately after pipe replacement work is completed as part of the same project scope.
“Some cases may require further verification where multiple service requests relate to the same location or where additional deterioration occurred after initial reinstatement. Factors may include underlying infrastructure conditions, weather impacts, traffic loading, ground settlement or where permanent reinstatement must follow temporary repairs after infrastructure work,” said Badroodien.
“Standard practice is for excavations to be reinstated and made safe as soon as possible following infrastructure repairs, with many sites being temporarily closed and reopened to traffic on the same day. In instances where permanent reinstatement cannot immediately be completed due to operational, technical or curing requirements, affected areas are enclosed and temporary safety measures, including barricading and signage, are implemented to protect road users and pedestrians until final reinstatement can take place.”
Programmes underway to improve backlogs and turnaround time
He said the City remains responsible for ensuring work performed complies with required specifications and contractual obligations, with oversight and remedial processes in place where defects are identified. “We acknowledge the impact that outstanding reinstatements may have on residents and road users, which is precisely why targeted programmes are under way to address historical backlogs and improve turnaround times.”
The complaints also come at a time when Helen Zille has publicly focused on potholes and deteriorating infrastructure in Johannesburg as part of her mayoral campaign messaging, including promises around rapid pothole repair turnaround times. During her tenure as mayor of Cape Town, the city also built a strong reputation for infrastructure maintenance and service delivery, with some residents now questioning whether those standards are slipping in parts of the City Bowl.
Photo: Alexandra Avenue, Oranjezicht
Photo: Upper Orange, Oranjezicht
Myrtle Road, Gardens
Photo: Belvedere Road, Oranjezicht
