Nkowankowa Taxi Association want roads repaired

The Bindzulani road that connects to the R36, and the road from Teba in Nkowankowa to Dan village, are riddled with potholes. NTA chairperson, Snyder Mhlongo, told the Herald that the two roads are delaying traffic, especially during peak hours. He said the cost of repairing tyres due to potholes is hard on their pockets. “The roads make it hard to work efficiently and with the rainy season upon us, those two roads become impassable. We are calling on all the roads to be fixed,” he said.

The road in Bindzulani falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure. The Teba to Dan road is the responsibility of the Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM). According to Vutivi Makhuvele, media liaison officer at the GTM, a part of the road will get refurbished in the current financial year. “The road between Teba and Dan is among the roads that Mayor Gerson Molapisane mentioned during the state of the municipal address. The tender will soon be advertised, after which construction will start.”

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Last year in September when President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the area, the Bindzulani road was repaired as it has often been done in the past years. However, only a few months down the line, the potholes appeared again. Residents have taken advantage of the situation by filling the potholes with sand to help motorists navigate the road in return for a voluntary fee.

Witness Tiva, the spokesperson of the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure, acknowledged that the matter has been brought to the attention of the department. “We have activated our maintenance team from Mopani, they will send a team to conduct assessments, which will come up with short and long-term solutions. The soil texture presents a challenge to the road structure, particularly between the citrus farms and the Bindzulani Complex,” Tiva concluded.