By Staff Reporter
news@alexreporter.co.za
For over four years, the residents of Evaton West in Mkhelele extension 11 Ward 26 in the Vaal say that the local potholes have grown and grown.
Every rain season, the potholes get bigger, wider and deeper.
Residents say that even after reporting it to government officials, there has been no one helping them to fix the road.
So, locals have decided to make lemonade out of lemons and decided to use the pothole as a makeshift beach – kasi style!
Resident Zanele Zikalala told Scrolla.Africa that she used to live in the kasi and she has had to traverse the pothole dozens of times in her car.
“At first, I couldn’t drive over it. I had to give the car to someone else as I was afraid to drive over that hole,” she said.
She said the area doesn’t have a drainage system and there are many other roads which are badly damaged.
“We don’t even have a drainage system. The water settles wherever there is a hole.
“The potholes look like we live in another country that has no resources for its people. We are a forgotten society,” she said.
In pictures shared with Scrolla.Africa, adults and children alike are seen swimming joyfully in the murky waters.
“The pothole is big. When it rains, water settles there and takes months to dry out,” Zanele explained.
Zanele said that although she has not swum in the pothole herself, many people use it as a spot to hang out and cool down, especially on the weekend.
She said families and groups of friends even bring cooler boxes full of drinks and umbrellas with them, to make a day out of it.
Gauteng MEC for Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure Jacob Mamabolo confirmed that Evaton West has had a pothole problem for several years, and that the local government will prioritise fixing them.
But maybe the locals have grown fond of their new beaches!
Mamabolo said the department will begin fixing the potholes in the Emfuleni municipality on Tuesday.
He also warned residents not to swim in the potholes as there is a danger that someone could drown in them.
This article was first published by Scrolla.Africa