Cracked road, cracked finances: Business reels from losses

The Randfontein Herald has reached out to two business owners who suffered major financial loss due to a collapsed piece of road in Stegman Street.

• Also read: Collapsed road leads to major safety concerns

The owners of Karl’s Autobody have since experienced a major setback when they drove into the sunken road with a client’s repaired vehicle. The vehicle sustained R16 000 worth of damage, which the business had to pay for.

According to owners Karel Hoffmann and Johan Schutte, residents are wary of the street and try to avoid using it. Their business, which is situated close to the collapsed section of the road, is now taking severe strain.

“We expect the road to be fixed so that we do not suffer from any further damage.

We are a small business, and therefore we cannot afford to pay for any unnecessary damages. We had to take out a loan to fix the client’s car,” Schutte said.

At the scene, Molefi Motaung, the Rand West City Local Municipality’s community liaison officer in construction, said measures will be taken to fix the road as soon as possible. However, the road is still under construction.

Municipal spokesperson Phillip Montshiwa acknowledged the Herald’s request for comment regarding the collapsed road, but has not given a response as of yet. An update will follow once his comments have been received.