Concerned residents of the Great Sandile Administrative Area, Ngcobo in Eastern Cape have turned to the Mtahatha High Court in a bid to force the transport department to fix the surface of the Sandile main road, which they say is in a state of disrepair.

The application was launched against the Eastern Cape MEC for Transport Safety and Liaison. The applicants state that the grievance regarding the road linking communities to Ugie and Ngcobo has been a long-standing issue, with complaints being repeatedly lodged with councillors and the local municipality.

Despite these efforts, their concerns have been met with no results, as officials would be appointed and leave office at the end of the term without taking meaningful steps to address the issue. The applicants describe the road as extremely bumpy, making travel a grueling experience, particularly in emergency situations where access to medical facilities is crucial.

The road’s poor state also results in substantial vehicle wear and tear, translating to high maintenance costs for vehicle owners.The inaccessible road from Ugie to Ngcobo significantly disrupts their daily lives, affecting their ability to shop, access banking services, and get to work, thereby compromising their overall well-being, including the learners’ ability to get to school.

They told the court that this is due to no maintenance being done to the road for years. The poorly positioned drainage pipes impede water flow, causing flooding and resulting in a slippery road surface, further compromising road safety. The drainage pipes are severely clogged with mud and debris, having been blocked for an extended period.

The court was told that about 10% of the roads in the area are surfaced, while about 90% are gravel roads.The department said it oversees a total of six districts, each managed by a district road engineer responsible for ensuring comprehensive care of the road network.

Given the budget limitations and the costly nature of road maintenance, the department engaged with municipalities to enable them to prioritise road maintenance based on the unique circumstances of these respective communities. One area that was identified as needing attention was the Sandile Road.

The department said that considerable progress has been made since the budget was approved and contractors appointed; thus, they argued, no court order is necessary.However, the court stated that the applicants clearly demonstrated their rights were being infringed upon. The department was ordered to repair the Sandile main gravel road within 120 days.

Earlier this year, residents of the nearby Nogqala village also turned to court to force their municipality to build them an access road and to complete a bridge to connect their village to a nearby town.

They said at the time that they had to cross a river by foot to get to the clinic, to shops, and the school. They even had to carry their loved ones who had died through the river in a bid to bury them. The AB Xuma Local Municipality was in that case ordered to immediately start with the building of the road and to give the residents frequent updates on how it’s progressing.

zelda.venter@inl.co.za

Source link