While potholes have become a part of everyday life in South Africa, Tshepiso Andrews is still frustrated by the number of potholes in his neighbourhood.
Despite numerous requests to the municipality to fix the roads in Promosa, Tshepiso says they do not seem to take him seriously. His job is to transport goods throughout Potchefstroom. While on his way to make a recent delivery, he hit a massive pothole while driving down Daniel street in Promosa.
“The municipality ignores us; they simply don’t care,” he lamented. “I see people taking matters into their hands, but we can’t fix the roads ourselves; that’s not our duty as residents.”
Tshepiso says the damage his car has sustained from potholes has placed him in a situation he has not budgeted for. “My job depends on my car, so I cannot afford to leave any damage unattended,” he said.
“I get so angry whenever I think about how many times I have had a flat tyre or a bent rim because of these terrible roads. “All the roads in Potchefstroom are full of huge potholes. Report-ing pothole damage is pointless because they give us the same line that the department is short-staffed – I honestly do not know why this should be our issue.”
To help try and find a solution, Tshepiso says they [as residents] contact the municipality almost every other month, but there is no way forward. “This matter needs some serious attention,” he concluded. The Herald asked the municipality for comment but had received none by the time of print.
