After repeated failed attempts to get the department to grade the roads, local farmers took matters into their own hands.

The export season for avocados is upon us. Politsi’s highly productive valley rolls out around 60 million rands in export quality fruit each season.

The valley has several farms in the area, including Westfalia, Amorentia, and ZZ2. And farmers struggle each season, bumping their fruit along the Grootbosch road and losing money in the ongoing maintenance costs.

Politsi, being one of the areas with the highest rainfall in the country, has seen the Grootbosch road messed up by the rains and left in terrible shape.

Cars were stuck up to their axels in the wrecked road, after its collapse during the rainy season.

They had to cart in rocks to sort it out.

But when the Roads department was called out, their response was “do we need a 4×4 for this?”

They claimed there were no funds for drivers. Or diesel. Two years ago they sent trucks, but the farmers had to buy the gravel.

Communication has gone back and forth but the department’s position stands as firm as the graders in their lot. So the farmers took matters into their own hands.

After getting a number of quotes, they got the grader in, their own tractor, and in 2 days fixed the road.

They have a permanent employee they all pay to continually open the side drains and release the water, and Westfalia has a water cart wet the road once a week to stabilise the dust and gravel. Rebuilding and reshaping the road costs less than 20k a year.

“Have you seen the road? That’s the best it’s ever been”, says Howard Blight.

But it’s not the only road in the area in bad condition.

The question, as with so many other departmental issues today, is what all the funds are actually being used for?