Potholes irk motorists in Standerton
“This is what corruption and misappropriation of funds look like in modern-day South Africa. It is not about politics or which political party has more voters. This is about delivering services to the people who pay rates and taxes,” says resident.
It has all the right features of an abandoned town in the Second World War, including spilling water from buildings and numerous potholes that can fit almost any fuel-efficient vehicle – this is what Standerton is known for.
When you mention Standerton to someone, the word potholes is thrown in. Accessing certain roads in mid-town is a nightmare for motorists.
Most motorists avoid the Coligny Street intersection near the Standerton police station because of its numerous potholes.
What is more frustrating to motorists, besides potholes in Standerton, is that there are no road markings to indicate whether the road is a double lane or a single lane.
Motorists on Coligny Street told the Standerton Advertiser that roads are so bad that they have given up hope.
“The roads here are bad. Certain homeowners have taken matters into their own hands by fixing their driveways and ensuring that roads leading to their houses are in good condition,” said motorist Kobus van der Merwe.
He added it did not matter if it was a rainy season – a bad road will remain to be just that.
“It does not matter if it is in summer or winter, a bad road is a bad road. With so many trucks passing through to other provinces, these roads remain hanging on for dear life,” he concluded.
Another motorist, Jaco Smit, added the Coligny Street potholes are what corruption looks like.
“This is what corruption and misappropriation of funds look like in modern-day South Africa. It is not about politics or which political party has more voters. This is about delivering services to the people who pay rates and taxes,” he concluded.
According to the National Transport Department, South Africa’s roads have reached the end of their design life.
The department launched a Vala Zonke ‘war room’ to monitor and manage pothole repair. The ‘war room’ is a central hub where all pothole-related issues are addressed and resolved.
In July, the Lekwa Municipality indicated the municipality had a plan to repair the roads in Standerton, claiming that in the past year, they have been able to rehabilitate 1.4km of Hlongwane Drive and patch potholes on Nelson Mandela Drive, Walter Sisulu, Beyers Naudé and Princess streets.
The municipality further stated there is a budget in place to deal with all the roads in the Lekwa Municipality, including the CBD.
