The much awaited completion of the new Rand Water pipeline, which was installed through parts of Boksburg, including Sunward Park and Elspark has been creating concerns for the residents in the area for a number of years.
During November 2012, construction started on a section from Rondebult Road (R21) to the N17, southeast of the N17/Rondebult intersection through Sunward Park.
Information obtained from Rand Water at the time indicated that the original contractor absconded about five months after starting construction, and a number of open trenches created substantial safety risks to residents for the following six months.
After a new contractor was appointed, construction work on the pipeline resumed.
However, the fence next to the off-ramp from the east from the N17 to Rondebult Road which had been removed by the original contractor became a major concern for many Sunward Park residents, as the open veld without the fence provided easy access to criminals to especially Sunward Park Ext 1 and 6 from this off-ramp.
A number of drivers actually started to use the open veld as an access route to their respective suburbs to bypass congested traffic on Rondebult Road, especially during peak hours.
When approached by Sunward Park Ext 1 residents around September 2014, Rand Water initially denied claims that there ever had been a fence prior to construction started, despite the fact that a number of poles still remained, as well as the fence being clearly visible on earlier Google Maps satellite photos of the area.
In 2016, the Sunward Park Ext 1 and 6 Residents Association committee members decided to try another approach and contacted representatives at the N17 Toll Concession and Sanral regarding the missing fence.
We are happy to report that the fence was replaced by Sanral during the course of April, the result of which will hopefully improve the security situation in especially Sunward Park Ext 1.
It seems that although the wheels of bureaucracy and justice turn equally slowly, perseverance is eventually rewarded with results.
