A local family was forced to carry a coffin on foot, while a young woman in labour had to be transported on a trolley to reach a vehicle.

These are just two of the recent incidents faced by people across Mpumalanga as persistent rainfall continues to wash away already poorly maintained roads.

Wales Village has been particularly hard hit, with residents demanding that the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (BLM) construct a tarred road for the area.

The infrastructure crisis has had a severe impact on funerals in the village.

Some residents were forced to hold services on the opposite side of the village where road conditions are better, while others postponed burials after being unable to reach the cemetery. One family, unable to delay the service any longer, carried a coffin for at least six kilometres.

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Family member Sello Mokone said they had no choice but to carry the casket as all arrangements had already been finalised.

“The hearse tried to deliver the body but got stuck in the mud. The dirt road was destroyed by the rain and the temporary detour was also impassable. It was very hard, and we believe that if the roads were well maintained or tarred, the situation would have been different,” he said.

The community, which has existed for more than 70 years, still lacks proper road infrastructure.

In another harrowing incident, Fortunate Malele narrowly avoided giving birth in the street after being pushed on a trolley to reach a waiting vehicle that could take her to hospital.

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“When my labour pains started, my father tried to take me to hospital, but his car got stuck in the mud. He and other community members had to push me on a trolley to the other side of the village. Fortunately, I reached Tintswalo Hospital in time and gave birth just minutes after arriving,” she said.

Malele added that she has participated in protests for years demanding a tarred road.

“The current road has always been a problem, but this time it has been completely washed away.”

Responding to residents’ concerns, the BLM’s spokesperson, Pfumulani Thobakale, said the municipality is aware of the situation and that plans are in place to repair the road once the rain subsides.

“We have already allocated resources to fix the road so vehicles can once again access the area,” she said.

Despite these assurances, residents claim they have previously been forced to use their own resources to attempt repairs, only to see their work washed away by the recent floods.