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Community members from KuLobhonga locality in Elliotdale used money from their own pockets to fix their gravel road, as they are saying it is hard for them to use it due to its condition.
One of the community members, Maphi Xuba (67), said that they managed to collect R15 000 from their own pockets, last year.
He said that each homestead contributed R200, and they then used this money to buy cement and other things required for the repair.
He confirmed that the road is supposed to be maintained by Mbhashe Local Municipality, but since 2012 nothing has happened.
“Even though we collected such an amount it was not enough, because we did not finish what we were doing about it.
He said that they appeal to anyone who can assist them, because now they do not have money to continue with their work.
Another community member, Wata Sibunzana, said that if they do not get help, they will not vote in the national elections because they are not happy about the treatment they receive.
Executive mayor of Mbhashe Local Municipality, Councillor Samkelo Janda, said that he wanted to assure the community that the conditions of these roads are known to the municipality, but it is unfortunate that the resources are not adequate enough to address all these roads at once.
“That is why we prioritise and secondly we are also assisted by Province and National through the disaster management grant, as these roads have been affected by heavy rains. As a result we are the recipient of these grants from National, but they are always released in tranches,” said Janda.
He added that they take a number of roads per municipality, and they are one of the beneficiaries from the disaster management grant.
Janda said this is also assisting them, because it is complementing what they also have as the municipality in addressing the conditions of their roads.
“This road is known but unfortunately it is not going to be attended now, because we are dealing with prioritisation throughout the Mbhashe Local Municipality, which has 32 wards and has a very huge road network which has been affected severely by these heavy rains.”
He added that in Ward 15 they have a contractor working on the Nketshu to Mcelwane access road, and they are in agreement with the contractor that it is going to assist them to make some interventions and attend to some of the areas in this road mentioned here.
According to him, this is not done because it was raised through the media, as it was already a plan between the contractor and the ward councillor who is negotiating so that even this area is accessible, so that is how this road is going to be attended.
“Temporarily there is going to be this intervention which will be made through a contractor which is assisting us at Mcelwane, and then as we receive these grants and we adjust our budgets these roads throughout the municipality that are not in the list will be prioritised; this will be seen through the process of prioritisation.”
