Roads still deteriorating rapidly

OHRIGSTAD – Road conditions are worsening a mere five weeks after the local farmers association fixed potholes on the R36.

It felt powerless after pleas to the local governments apparently fell on deaf ears. According to the chairman of the local farmers’ association, Mr Cor Cross, they decided to take matters into their own hands after no effort was made by either of the provincial departments to fix the road. “They simply said they did not have funds available and the matter would only be investigated next year,” Cross told Steelburger/Lydenburg news in December.

The association repaired approximately 400 potholes on December 14 with the help of local businessmen, Slagfontein farmers and a total of 80 workers. They believe that the bad condition of the road is life threatening after nine accidents claimed seven lives in two weeks last year. “We use this road every day and it is too great a risk to ignore the situation,” said Cross.

According to the SANRAL website, provinces are responsible for regional roads and enforcement activities on the national and provincial roads. (N and R roads). “The R36 between Ohrigstad and Lydenburg is the responsibility of both Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The road between Hoedspruit and the Pelgrims turn-off is Limpopo’s responsibility and the road from there to Lydenburg is Mpumalanga’s responsibility,” Cross recently told the newspaper.

According to him the issue has been taken up with the different provincial departments but to no avail. “They stopped fixing potholes altogether and no attempt has been made by them to cut open the road shoulders. Where this is done it was done by the farmers. The road signs are also overgrown.”

Readers of both newspapers and social media forums have been complaining about several roads in the area. The condition of the R37 between Burgersfort and Lydenburg and the so called R36 “Bambi”, Lydenburg/Machadodorp road made headlines in the last couple of months. Social media readers also started somewhat of a new trend posing in potholes and posting it onto different platforms.

After several emails, phone calls and text messages were sent to Mr Jimmy Machaka, spokesman for the Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport for comment on the situation, none was received before deadline on Wednesday.