Motorists and residents demand reconstruction of Lihawu roads
A community member, Mkhuleko Ngomane said most of the roads he uses daily are damaged and in need of reconstruction.
The weekend’s rainfall has once again caused major damage to the road infrastructure in some parts of Nsikazi.
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This has angered motorists and community members, since they had been calling for some of the major roads to be reconstructed from scratch for some time now.
Most of the roads are ridden with potholes, while others need a total makeover.
About two months ago, fed-up taxi operators in Pienaar embarked in a peaceful protest, calling for the government to repair the Lihawu road. This protest was triggered by an accident involving a Buscor bus and a minibus taxi there.
“We were told that government is still busy looking for suitable and experienced contractors to fix the Lihawu road, and we are still waiting for them to give us direction. Most of the roads we use on a daily basis are damaged and in need of fixing. The recent rainfall has made things worse, as most of these roads are back to square one,” said Mkhuleko Ngomane, a taxi operator.
The Lowveld part of Mpumalanga has been experiencing heavy rainfall since the beginning of the year. The ground is already saturated with water and the dams and rivers are overflowing.
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On Tuesday May 12, the Sand River Bridge towards Skukuza had to be closed due to water overflowing it, and guests travelling from Skukuza to Tshokwane had to use alternative roads.
The City of Mbombela’s spokesperson, Joseph Ngala, said they were aware of the damages caused by the recent rainfall, and are looking at temporary measures to improve the situation.
