The DA in Ray Nkonyeni Municipality has launched a petition calling on the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport (KZN DoT) to urgently fix roads in parts of the municipality.
The deteriorating conditions of key infrastructure and basic services in the municipality, which encompass the Paddock and Oribi Gorge areas, is of grave concern.
While water supply interruptions and the expansion of an informal settlement without proper ablution facilities have already created serious health and sanitation concerns, the most pressing crisis lies in the state of two critical roads:
• The Oribi Gorge access road (P345), and
• The Oribi Flats road
The Oribi Gorge is widely regarded as the jewel of the South Coast and serves as the region’s most significant inland tourism attraction, often referred to as the Grand Canyon of Africa.
The Oribi Gorge access road has received little more than patchwork maintenance over the years.
As of today, at least two major sections are on the verge of total collapse. Should these fail, residents, farmers and businesses will be completely cut off, devastating tourism and investment in the region.
This matter has been escalated to the DA’s Portfolio Member on Transport, Riona Gokool MPL, who has since submitted formal parliamentary questions to the DoT.
Although the DoT has acknowledged the problem and admitted that drastic action is required, no concrete plan of action or timeframe has been provided.
As usual, the lack of funding has been cited as the main reason for inaction.
The DA has further launched a petition and is urging residents in Ugu to sign the petition: https://petitions.da.org.za/p/safer-roads; to compel DoT to act urgently.
In the nearly four decades that we have called this region home, property values have stagnated, tourism has been stifled and development opportunities have been lost.
The DA will continue to hold the provincial and municipal authorities accountable, demand an emergency intervention to prevent the collapse of the Oribi Gorge road, and push for long-term investment in Ugu’s critical infrastructure.
TAP KRUGER
DA Ray Nkonyeni councillor
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