Okay, let’s make something clear from the start: You get potholes…

And then you get POTHOLES.

So we decided that some of these man-made masterpieces need to be recognised for the colossal works of art they are. And so begins the ‘Great Ladysmith Pothole Crusade’.

After all, potholes are not made overnight. It takes years of municipal neglect to create such bone-jarring, car-eating, shock-and-wheel-alignment-destroying gateways to the far reaches of car hell!

These portals flourish when good men do nothing.

We have had our experts scouring every corner of Ladysmith.

We have even resorted to employing experts to scour municipal records and hunt for true potholes from hell!

Pothole Number 1

Well, this is one of several, all living close together in Forbes Street. We are given to understand that when the first one arrived, he felt lonely and so he invited a few fellow potholes to move in. Next thing you know, the place is overrun with potholes.

Pothole Number 2

While not as impressive as their more illustrious siblings, the pothole and friends on the Hyde Park road make up for it by (almost as if they are of one mind) desperately trying to stay in formation. Yes, one long line of potholes ready to rip away at your vehicle’s undercarriage.

Pothole Number 3

This pothole comes with its own built-in pool. It is incredibly well suited for drought conditions, with not just a pool but a dam closely situated nearby. Due to its age, it has managed to spread across the entire road. Attempts to catch fish in this Pretorious Street water-filled monstrosity have so far proved fruitless. But we have it on good authority that the local angling club have plans to populate the Pretorious Street Dam with barbel.

Pothole Number 4

Deceptively small yet still impressive, this Thompson Street pothole has the distinction of varying depths across its circumference, making it so cratered that when you hit it, you are under the illusion that you have hit more than one pothole. This pothole is not for the faint-hearted and should only be tackled in a 4×4 vehicle if possible.

Pothole Number 5

A starter pothole in Francis Road. They are cheap to start, cost only a few weeks of a “municipal don’t care attitude” and can grow into an impressive monster of a hole come the first real downpour.

Pothole Number 6

Wow, what a beauty. As you can see, the unkempt verge overgrown with weeds and grass adds a tasteful appeal to these potholes in Rawlinson Street. Few could argue that they help redefine potholes as garden accessories!

These are the handful we found in a few hours of looking. We are sure there are many, many more. So please get your smartphones out and start snapping. Each legitimately good pothole will be added to the list. We are sure the municipality will agree to fix the pothole with the most votes. If not, we will look to several private sector partners to join us on the ‘Great Ladysmith Pothole Crusade’. #PotholesMustClose

Please cast your vote in the comment section below this story and not on the Facebook link to the story. We will tally the votes and present them to the Emnambithi/Ladysmith mayor. All photos sent in will be added to the story, so please check back regularly. You can vote for more than one pothole.