Repair our roads, or we’ll boycott election
Residents in the Vhembe district are threatening to boycott the coming general election, should the Department of Roads and Transport continue to ignore the condition of their roads.
LIMPOPO – Residents of the Mulima Pfananani area are threatening to boycott the coming general election, should the Department of Roads and Transport continue to ignore the condition of their roads, in particular the D2677 from Pfananani to Vleifontein and the D3727 in Chavani Morebeng.
Residents complain that it’s difficult for them to travel to and from their homes with the roads being in the poor state due to rain damage. Learners, teachers and people who have to travel a distance from home to get to school and work were delayed for hours earlier this week after a bus slid and got stuck on the Pfananani road, blocking the entire road for two days.
Samuel Mathepe explained that perhaps the only way they would get attention was if they all decided to boycott the coming elections. Mathepe said that they were tired of being driven from pillar to post, only to be given empty promises.
The Chairperson of Mulima Development Forum, Gezani Chabalala, said that the situation has been coming for a long time. “Our lives have been a living hell and residents are forced to take a detour to access the main road to and from Mulima,” he said.
According to him, the community had been visited by the Vhembe Mayor, Dowelani Nenguda and Makahdo Mayor, Samuel Munyai, who took it upon himself to do a follow-up, and promised to report back to the community.
Chabalala said that they were not happy that the Provincial Department of Public Works and Limpopo Roads Agency treated them so badly.
He said that the roads that run through the area were supposed to improve the local economy and make it easier for residents to gain access to public transport.
According to Chabalala they wrote several letters to the department and also called the department’s spokesperson, Joel Seabe, who responded that budgetary constraints are holding up the repairs of these roads.
Nkhangweni Phadziri of Phadziri Bus Service, which operates in the area, said that they had met with representatives of the Makhado Municipality, Vhembe district and Public Works several times to discuss the condition of the roads, but nothing has been done to date. He appeals to the department to pay attention to the problem.
Seabe commented that the department is currently busy with the rehabilitation of the damage roads.
He explained that they have started with the first phase of the project, but that it is quite a stretch of road and would thus take a while to complete. He added that government apologises for any inconvenience caused.
Seabe explained that many roads around the province have been damaged during the recent heavy rains and the department is working tirelessly to repair it.
