Thulamela communities demand tarred roads or they won’t vote
The communities of six villages in the Thulamela Municipality say they will not rest until their demands are met by Roads MEC Nkakareng Rakgoale.
LIMPOPO – Furious villagers from Tshitanini, Mbahe, Tshutilikwa, Nweli, Malamangwa and Malavuwe under the Thulamela Municipality have vowed not to vote in this year’s general and provincial election if the government does not tar the 10km stretch on the R3710.
The communities of six villages were up in arms on March 5 saying they would not rest until their demands were met, when they marched in Polokwane to the RAL office and that of Roads MEC Nkakareng Rakgoale, to hand over a memorandum of grievances.
They say they have been complaining about the poor state of the road since 2015. In the memorandum, residents demand the tarring of most gravel roads in their area.
“The area must be rehabilitated, as we are living in a sloppy area. During the rainy season, residents find it extremely difficult to reach their homes. Workers, learners, teachers and people who work far from home are delayed for hours,” community representative Lucky Ramunongo said, adding that government “is taking us for granted”.
“We want proper roads or we are not voting‚” he said.
Contacted for comment, the MEC said her department is facing a huge challenge where roads are concerned.
“We are experiencing a backlog‚ but will see how best we can assist the community‚ as the road is also used by buses.”
She promised that she will respond to the memorandum in seven working days.
