Nearly two months of driving over a hazardous road surface on Tomango Road in Merebank, roleplayers remain hopeful that the roadworks will be completed on Saturday. 

During a placard protest by residents on Friday, municipal workers arrived and closed the road to begin the repairs.

DA KwaZulu-Natal deputy leader, Sithembiso Ngema, said that residents have had enough of the municipality’s ineptitude and lack of accountability. He considered this a stark example of the municipality’s failure to perform its duties. He also stated that there was a breakdown in communication between the departments responsible. 

“A month and three weeks have passed since the eThekwini Municipality Water Department dug up the road to fix a leaking pipe, yet the road remained in a deplorable state. This negligence has compromised business operations for local companies, with over 60 trucks traversing the area daily, and has put motorists at risk of accidents,” Ngema said. 

Ngema said that the lack of accountability and consequence management within the municipality was staggering, and it’s putting the lives of residents, including children, at risk. 

“The community’s frustration is palpable, and it’s no wonder that people are angry and threatening strikes. It’s clear that this is the only language the municipality understands. We demand better from our municipal leaders,” he said. 

Premilla Deonath, the chairperson of Merewest Community Foundation, and the chairperson of the trucking delegation, said the requests for urgent repairs fell on deaf ears. On Saturday, Deonath stated that the road was closed off and workers were seen on the road despite the intermittent rainfall. 

“Interestingly, during our peaceful protest, the municipality initiated some work on the road. We hope that the current weather conditions are not going to be used as a reason to delay necessary and long-awaited repairs to ensure the road’s safety for all users. We are hopeful that the repairs will be completed in its entirety this weekend, restoring the dignity and safety of the community,” she said. 

Raveen Naidoo, a community member, was also concerned about an excavation on the roadside at the intersection of Himalaya Drive and Shalimar Road. He said it was quite deep and not repaired in three months despite the relevant departments being made aware of it. 

“This shows eThekwini’s inefficiency at providing a service to people. This is frustrating to say the least and disappointing at the lack of concern for pedestrians and motorists,” he said. 

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za 

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