Two uncovered stormwater drains in Sunninghill have become more than an eyesore.

Residents say one has been exposed for more than a year, while another has been uncovered for several months, raising concerns for pedestrians and motorists using the area.

The problem now is not only the missing covers. It is also determining who is responsible for replacing them.

Rivonia and Leeuwkop falls to the City

The drain at the intersection of Rivonia and Leeuwkop roads was initially caught in some confusion over whether it belonged to Johannesburg or the provincial roads department.

The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has since told Fourways Review that this particular location is not under its maintenance responsibility and falls under the City of Johannesburg.

That is significant because JRA is the City entity responsible for Johannesburg’s road and stormwater infrastructure.

No confirmed repair date has yet been made public.

Witkoppen still needs a responsible depot

The second drain, on Witkoppen Road, remains less clear.

GPDRT said it was still verifying which road-maintenance depot is responsible for the site before it can provide a repair timeframe.

Witkoppen has already been the subject of other infrastructure complaints this year, including a long-running water-flow problem near Henley Business School.

Why residents are worried

Sunninghill Residents Ratepayers Association suburb manager Tracy Kensey has highlighted the danger of the Rivonia and Leeuwkop drain in particular.

It sits beside a heavily used walkway, and residents say the area is poorly lit at night, making an uncovered opening harder to spot.

That turns what may look like a relatively small infrastructure defect into a genuine fall and road-safety risk.

There has been some movement in Sunninghill

The wider area has not been completely ignored.

In May, JRA joined JMPD, Johannesburg Water, Pikitup and other City teams in a large service-delivery operation along Leeuwkop Road. The intervention included road repairs, clean-up work and enforcement activity.

The outstanding drain covers show that some specific infrastructure issues still need follow-through.

The Bottom Line

The responsibility for one of Sunninghill’s uncovered drains is now clearer: the Rivonia and Leeuwkop Road site falls under the City of Johannesburg.

The Witkoppen Road site is still being traced to the correct provincial maintenance team.

For residents, the next meaningful update will be less about who owns the problem and more about when the covers will actually be replaced.