The district mayor, Thomas Ngwenya, and Mayor Cllr Mhlonishwa Masilela got their hands dirty by patching potholes in the highly contested Ward 10 in Eastdene.

Ward 10 which compresses Eastdene, Hlalamnandi and Rondebosch will be going to the ballots on August 28 after Councillor Gift Maseko sadly passed away earlier this year.

When asked why the district was patching potholes on Mandela Day, Mayor Ngwenya said the district municipality was rolling out a programme to support to the six municipalities under its jurisdiction. They would be lending the different municipalities the jetpatcher for two months before it goes to other municipalities.

The jetpatcher, was donated to the district municipality by Seriti Coal, it performs maintenance activities such as repairing cracks, edge break, pothole repair, and pre-sealing maintenance at a high scale and speed.

Mayor Masilela said, there were alot of potholes in Eastdene hence the jeckpatcher stated its work in the area.

“We are encouraging all members of society, especially in Steve Tswete to make they contribute to 67 minutes for Mandela. We celebrate a giant who is celebrated by the whole world, who fought for the rights of our country.We render services today in an extraordinary way and will continue beyond Mandela Day for our residents.”

The officials then went to the newly built Hlalamnandi Community Hall to donate blankets, food parcels, and sanitary pads.

Mayor Ngwenya educated the residents about the importance of celebrating Mandela Day and the history of the country.

“We give the necessities we brought to the residents. It is what Tata Madiba stood for. We will continue to serve you to ensure that you enjoy democracy fully,” said Mayor Ngwenya.