Tzaneen residents fed-up with potholes
Motorists in Tzaneen and surrounding areas are disgruntled with the state of the roads in the region.
It seems as though everywhere one goes, there is a pothole and they are getting bigger by the day.
On rainy days Nkowankowa commuters are delayed because of the bad state of the road between Tivumbeni and Bindzulani.
Drivers drive slow in order to protect their tyres and as a result it causes a traffic jam.
One commuter told Herald he is frustrated because he leaves his home early, only to be delayed by the traffic.
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“My advice to the municipality is to stop awarding tenders to people who do sloppy work, they need to hire quality contractors that will fix the road to an appropriate standard.
Roads that were patched have been washed away by the rain and we are back to square one with even bigger potholes,” he said.
Neville Ndlala, Greater Tzaneen Municipality spokesman told the Herald that the municipality has a plan in place to repair the damaged roads.
“We will repair roads that fall within our jurisdiction, such as the High Point area.
“However the Bindzulani road fall under the Department of Public Works,” he explained.
The schedule shows that in the first week of March they will fix tar roads in Nkowankowa section B, and in Tzaneen they will start with Flora Park and the new Industrial area.
Week 2 shows Lestitele and Medipark on their schedule.
The plan also includes repairing of storm water drains until the end of April (get the full plan in next week’s Herald).
Meanwhile, after observing motorists struggling because of potholes, local resident Lucky Phiri decided to fill the potholes with sand.
He told the Herald that it frustrated him to see the traffic jams caused by the potholes, especially on rainy days.
Phiri is from Dan Extension and uses his own tools to fill the potholes. He says he is lucky if he gets R2 from motorists who appreciates his efforts.
“To me it is not about the money, it is about reducing the unnecessary congestion on the road.
“Rainy days are the worst as drivers struggle to see the potholes as it is covered with water,” Phiri said.
The Herald is still awaiting response from the Department of Public Works regarding the Bindzulani road.
