The DA in Mkhondo will table a motion that calls on the municipality to urgently attend to potholes and road maintenance in Piet Retief and surrounding areas.
For years, the municipality has been failing to maintain and upgrade our roads, as a result, motorists sometimes drive on the sidewalks.
Following our oversight, we have learnt that there are a number of roads in these areas that need to be either filled with tar or graded. It is concerning to note how the municipality has turned a blind eye to our deteriorating roads. Despite numerous complaints to the ANC administration, nothing tangible has been done to solve this issue as yet.
This is an indication that the ANC is failing to fulfill its obligations to the public which is to create efficient, accessible, safe, and sustainable mobility, in urban as well as rural areas of Mkhondo. The municipality’s incompetence in this regard has put the lives of motorists and pedestrians in danger.
Motorists driving in Mkhondo are forced to make sharp twists and turns.
Infrastructure planning and maintenance is the mandate of the municipality. We have already observed accidents on these roads as a result of their poor condition. More hazards are likely to occur if the situation remains the same.
It must be also noted that potholes damage tyres, wheel rims, suspension system, alignment and the undercarriage of the vehicle.
Heavy load vehicles such as trucks have also been frequenting the streets of Mkhondo. This has brought massive growth to the local economy, but also requires the prioritization of repairing our roads.
Our motion will contain three recommendations, these include:
A solid monthly road maintenance plan. This will indicate dates on the upgrade or maintenance which is to be done on roads per wards.
Transport committee members to regularly monitor the work being done and ensure that contractors are adhering to time frames given to them.
A breakdown of the budget and allocation for road maintenance to be submitted on a monthly basis to the Technical Portfolio section 80.
The DA remains committed to services delivery which will improve the standard of living for residents in Mkhondo.