Malagazi residents are gatvol at the state of disrepair in which the main arterial route through the suburb, Postum Road has been allowed to fall into.
Resident, Michelle Rambridge has been battling to get assistance from the eThekwini roads department to have the road rehabilitated since January, to no avail.
“I first contacted the roads department in January and a reference number was issued to me. The return date for service from the date of call is 10 working days – I have been waiting almost five months with no service.
To date, everyone whom I have contacted in the department has failed my community and I,” she said. “It seems as if the residents of Malagazi have been forgotten.”
Michelle took the Sun for a drive along Postum Road to point out the terrible state of disrepair.
At some points the road is far too narrow for two vehicles to pass. Drivers have to zigzag between the two ‘lanes’ to avoid monstrous potholes and their cars scrapping on the uneven surface.
“When there are problems on the main Umbumbulu Road, traffic from Folweni, Umbumbulu and Umlazi is diverted along Postum Road, which makes negotiating it a nightmare. Likewise, whenever there are disruptions alongside the transit camp, traffic is diverted along there,” said Michelle.
“There are a lot of schools in the area and it is dangerous for children to walk along this road, especially when it is busy and it is so narrow.”
According to Michelle, rehabilitation has started numerous times on Postum Road, but for various reasons, is always halted. All interior roads in Malagazi have recently been tarred, while the main road remains unrepaired.
“Postum Road is not even tarred, it is covered in what the roads department calls milling,” said Michelle. “Even if there are no funds to tar it, at least they could grade it. That would make a huge difference.”
Residents now even take the road’s repairs into their own hands, carting sand with wheelbarrows.
“When it rains, it is even worse.”
The Sun sent queries to eThekwini Municipality regarding the state of Postum Road and when it will be rehabilitated, but no response was forthcoming.
