EDITORIAL | A life was lost because of a pothole — meanwhile, City of Joburg workers claim R946m in overtime

The life of a delivery driver was cut short last week when he was involved in an accident caused by a pothole in Northriding, Johannesburg. 

Metro police said a car had slowed down because of a pothole, causing the delivery driver behind to clip it and veer onto oncoming traffic, where he was hit by another car.

Metro police spokesperson Xolani Fihla said a case of culpable homicide would be opened with Douglasdale police.

This senseless death not only highlights the hazardous conditions that drivers face daily, it also underscores a systemic failure by our city officials, whose negligence has now claimed a life.

In a city that prides itself on being a world-class African city, it is simply unacceptable that routine maintenance of the roads to prevent life-threatening hazards such as potholes is not identified and fixed immediately.

What is said about this one is that it was identified and reported to the city by a caring citizen.

But what happened to that call logged? Was it attended to on time? No. Even with repeated follow-ups, the pothole remained unfixed until it claimed the driver's life. 

Now, with the pothole finally fixed, we face the grim reality that it was only attended to after it took a life. 

The pothole that took the life of this hardworking individual was a visible hazard that could have been addressed long before it led to such a tragedy. 

You juxtapose this incident with the article published by the Sunday Times about how the six metro municipalities splurged more than R3.3bn on overtime in the 2023/24 financial year.

The two don't correspond. There is nothing wrong with working overtime. However, it should be reflected in the services residents receive. You would expect that the City of Johannesburg, where workers claimed R946m in overtime, would be tackling a basic thing like fixing a pothole with ease and with no issues. 

While we all understand the necessity of fair compensation for hard work, one must question why these funds do not translate into better services for residents. If city officials can justify millions of rand spent on overtime, we implore them to consider reallocating those resources towards essential maintenance and repairs, which could save lives.

Now, with the pothole finally fixed, we face the grim reality that it was only attended to after it took a life.

This negligence is not only tragic but infuriating. Our roads should be safe for all, whether it is for delivery drivers working tirelessly to support their families or any resident navigating their daily commute.

It is a fundamental expectation that we should not have to worry about our safety because of a lack of regular oversight or attending to defects that have been reported.

We demand better from our city officials. Regular inspections, timely repairs and thorough maintenance of our roads are not optional; they are essential duties that should be prioritised. The life of this driver, and the countless others who navigate our roadways, depend on it.

This death was avoidable and we should fight for the systemic changes that will ensure no life is lost due to infrastructural negligence again.

Every life matters, and no pothole should ever be the reason for someone's death.