No roads, no tourists, no jobs – says councillor

DA councillor from the KZN Drakensberg, Thys Janse van Rensburg, says that the hospitality sector in the Central Drakensberg is under tremendous pressure. This is because of the crumbling state of road infrastructure in the greater Okhahlamba Drakensberg region.

Hotels and lodges struggling

Hotels and lodges are trying to recover from many long months of restrictions and lockdowns. They now also have to deal with domestic tourists giving the region a miss due to the crumbling roads filled with dangerous potholes and sinkholes.

Hospitality staff request intervention

More than 400 hospitality staff and residents signed and addressed an urgent petition last year to the KZN MEC and Minister of Transport to request urgent intervention. To date, little has come of it.

Tourism and agriculture are the only industries in this rural region. Without visiting domestic travellers, the economy and many livelihoods will come to a grinding halt, says Van Rensburg. He says this would have a devastating impact on thousands of people who are dependent on those who have the limited jobs available.

The Okhahlamba Park has UNESCO World Heritage status and has massive potential for tourism that is not nearly fully exploited. This potential will lie dormant directly as a result of the government’s lack of investment in and upkeep of infrastructure such as roads.

Dangerous sinkhole on R74

A sad example of government’s don’t-care attitude is the sinkhole that developed on the R74 Oliviershoek Pass road last year. The sinkhole has effectively reduced the road to one and a half lanes to be used by traffic in both directions. This incredibly dangerous state of the already narrow and twisty Oliviershoek Pass road has been reported to provincial and municipal authorities, as well as the local councillor. Yet, months later, this life-threatening sinkhole on the only viable alternative route to Van Reenen’s Pass remains unrepaired, with no attempts at temporary repairs or proper traffic warnings.

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The councillor adds that ‘local municipal officials placed some amateurish warning tape at the hole, but this pathetic intervention was very quickly dislodged and in any event was too little far too late for motorists to be able to take evasive action’.

The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Ladysmith Gazette, a sold newspaper distributed in the Ladysmith area. 

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