A SECTION of the road that connects Umkomaas to Amanzimtoti washed away two years ago. Not only has it remained unrepaired, but it has continued to erode, putting the lives of its users at risk.
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The southbound lane of the R102 just before the uMkhomazi River bridge was damaged during the April 2022 floods.
Further up north, the Illovo River washed away one of the pillars of the train bridge, halting the train service between Durban and the Lower South Coast. As a result of the southbound train not going farther than Winklespruit, most of the overhead lines on the tracks between Illovo Beach and Umkomaas have been stolen.
Media queries to the Department of Transport, Transnet and Metro Rail about the extended lack of repairs have drawn a blank.
As the calls for the railway and the R102 to be fixed have been made, political parties that organised themselves into a multi-party charter met at the site of the washaway on April 3. The multi-party charter blamed the lack of repairs and infrastructure deterioration on the corruption of those in power.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said a good and functioning public infrastructure is underpinned by service delivery and economic development.
“Here in Umkomaas, the railway line no longer works and is overgrown, and the road in front of us is in this condition. This critical infrastructure is the lifeline of this area because it brings in tourists and assists businesses. It also helps people in this area to move their goods. What we see here is a symptom of what is happening everywhere,” said Steenhuisen.
Repairs to the 2022 flood damage on the N2 in Umgababa started in 2023 and are still underway.
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