The Portfolio Committee on Transport witnessed first-hand the damage heavy rains and flooding has caused in KwaZulu-Natal. On Friday, the committee conducted oversight in Okhahlamba, particularly the areas of Harrismith, Bergville, and Ladysmith in the Othukela region, where the destruction has caused road closures.
Near eMazizini village, in Bergville, a bridge was completely destroyed on the R74, while near the Sterkfontein Dam in Harrismith part of the road has collapsed. The committee held a community meeting with the people of eMazizini, who said they have lived with road challenge for years.
One community leader, Mr Jonny Khumalo, said the state of the roads is damaging people’s cars and that soon there will be nowhere to drive them. “Rural roads are worse. At least you’ve seen the tarred roads. Important for this community is that the committee must indicate when it will come back for a report-back,” he said.
Another resident, Ms Megan Bedingham, said the condition of the roads deterred people from coming to Okhahlamba. “Tourism has suffered and as a result we are unable to create jobs. We need action; we’ve been asking and we do not see results.”
She added: “We need help, we deserve better. We just can’t sit and watch, hoping that something is going to happen. We want action, we have to protect jobs. We work hard to bring services to the people.”
The committee heard that the worst affected by the floods are school children, the sick, and those who rely on government services such as social grants and the courts. Members of the community said it is necessary to have transparency around how the budget for roads maintenance is spent. Other community members complained about an unresponsive government at all levels, political instability and corruption
Infrastructure maintenance and development is an ongoing problem in the province. The Department of Transport assists provinces where it can, but this support is limited. Responding to a question from the community about how the department of Transport identifies which roads to maintain, a departmental official, Mr Whitey Makhaphela, said Sanral received strategic support to ensure important routes are maintained. Provinces have been instructed to identify roads with strategic importance, so that these can be maintained, and the R74 is one of these.
Councillor Hlongwane, who is responsible for the area, said the lack of maintenance and the condition of road infrastructure is not a new challenge. “We found these roads infrastructure challenges in office; the challenge is historical. There is interference at the municipality. The national department should follow up and see if people commit to doing what they said they will do,” he said.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Lawrence McDonald, said the situation is serious and need to change. “These roads have a potential to cause serious accidents. We are talking about people’s lives here,” he said. The committee will conclude its oversight with a visit to Msunduzi on Saturday.
Sibongile Maputi
22 April 2022
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