WATCH: Residents of Ward 105 want help with Ezemvelo Road
The Ezemvelo Road is a critical route leading to nature conservatories such as Ezemvelo Nature Reserve, Markon River Lodge, and Rhenosterpoort Nature Reserve, as well as farms, schools, and workplaces.
Residents of Ward 105 near Bronkhorstspruit are on the verge of being completely cut off from the nearest town due to severely deteriorated roads, leaving them also without essential services.
A combination of weeks of heavy rainfall, poor municipal maintenance, and blocked drainage systems has rendered the R907 Vlakfontein Road and Ezemvelo Road nearly impassable.
The Ezemvelo Road is a critical route leading to nature conservatories such as Ezemvelo Nature Reserve, Markon River Lodge, and Rhenosterpoort Nature Reserve, as well as farms, schools, and workplaces.
A community in crisis
While many landowners focus on nature conservation and tourism, the majority of residents are farmers who rely on these roads for their livelihoods.
With harvest season approaching, the inability to transport produce to silos is a growing concern. The R907 is a provincial road, while the Ezemvelo Road falls under the City of Tshwane (CoT).
However, residents say municipal authorities have neglected maintenance for years, forcing them to pay out of pocket to keep the road passable.
@ridgetimesnews Residents of Ward 105 near #Bronkhorstspruit are on the verge of being completely cut off from the nearest town due to severely deteriorated roads, leaving them also without essential services. #Secunda #eMbalenhle #standerton #Evander
“The road was well-constructed with proper drainage, but years of neglect have left it in a disastrous state,” said Doctor Annemarie Carstens, chairperson of the Stofpad Gemeenskap group.
She warns that even alternative exit routes have been damaged by the recent rains.
“A local farmer kindly allowed us to use a path through his land, but now the municipality is pressuring him to grant access to everyone. That path will also be destroyed soon.”
Her greatest concern is for elderly residents and those needing urgent medical care, who may soon be unreachable due to the road’s condition.
Calls for intervention ignored
Despite repeated appeals to the City of Tshwane, residents say their pleas have fallen on deaf ears. A video circulating on social media aims to highlight their struggle, while Stephen Devine, a resident and business owner, has sent a formal letter to the CoT executive mayor on behalf of affected landowners.
“Over the past two weeks, these roads have deteriorated further, severely impacting large-scale agricultural enterprises, eco-tourism facilities, and smallholdings that provide jobs for local communities.”
Devine explains that, despite multiple engagements with the municipal roads department in Bronkhorstspruit, no effective action has been taken.
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“Representatives from both the provincial and municipal roads departments have visited the affected sites, but no concrete intervention plans have been communicated.”
Residents argue that they pay municipal rates and taxes but receive none of the services provided to other areas, such as water, sanitation, refuse collection, electricity, or fire response.
“We are not asking for special treatment—just the same basic service delivery that all ratepayers deserve.”
Road beyond repair?
According to Devine, the road has deteriorated to the point where simple grading will no longer be effective.
“The worst section is a 300m stretch of the Ezemvelo Road, which is now just a mud pool.”
Other parts are ridden with huge holes. Regional Head of Region 7, Jabu Mabona, acknowledged the issue and confirmed that a grader was sent to inspect the road but got stuck due to wet clay soil.
“We share the road with the province. Something will be done once the soil dries out,” Mabona stated.
Community takes matters into their own hands
With no immediate municipal action, residents have resorted to temporary fixes, such as packing stone-filled bags onto the muddy road, though this proved unsuccessful.
At a community meeting on Tuesday night, George Klein and other residents discussed a potential long-term solution.
“We believe that digging a 40m drainage ditch will help dry out the surface. Once it dries, we can compact stones to reinforce the road,” Klein explained.
The community project is set to begin this Friday, marking another instance of residents stepping in where the municipality has failed.
