Municipality says R44m is required to fix roads
According to the spokesperson for the City, Joseph Ngala, the damage to the roads and bridges is beyond the municipality’s budget as the rain continues to pour.
The City of Mbombela said an amount of about R44m will be required to repair recent storm damage to the road infrastructure in and around the municipality. According to the spokesperson for the City, Joseph Ngala, the damage to the roads and bridges is beyond the municipality’s budget as the rain continues to pour.
Lowvelder Express received several calls from members of the public raising their concerns and frustrations over the shocking road infrastructure and potholes in many parts of the municipality. According to them, many roads are in a terrible condition, and they feel unsafe when driving or commuting on these routes.
“We have compiled a report and submitted it to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs for assistance with funding. It was submitted on Thursday January 13.
ALSO READ: Carolina residents demand proper service delivery
” Ngala said the amount can change due to the constant rainfall. “We did the report after we visited the various damaged roads and bridges, however, this amount required is not fixed, because it rains often, which results in more damages. “Most of our teams for road maintenance were still on leave and the majority returned to work only recently. As we receive complaints, we send our teams to the sites to inspect, after which we plan for action to be taken. If it is not a huge damage, we send out teams to repair with our limited resources.
ALSO READ: Illegal sale of RDP houses slammed
“We are trying to prioritise roads to schools, clinics and service centres. This includes repairing access roads and streets that connect the community to the main roads, public roads and closing of potholes.”
Last week, Bongani Dhlamini, the spokesperson for the provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport, said, “The department is aware of the challenges regarding the road infrastructure and it is able to do routine road maintenance, but with limited resources because of budgetary constraints. If a budget is allocated in the near future, the department will consider rehabilitating various road infrastructure networks.”
