The mayor says roads in Makana are a disaster but it appears officials' hands are tied when it comes to fixing them properly.
The mayor says roads in Makana are a disaster but it appears officials' hands are tied when it comes to fixing them properly.
At a council meeting a few weeks ago, Executive Mayor Zamuxolo Peter said he was concerned about the state of the roads and said he hoped the technical services directorate was taking note of the problem. In last week's meeting, he reiterated this concern and expressed frustration, particularly about a road in Extension 6.
"I believe this road must be given very serious attention and should be treated as a special case, because it is utilised by taxi drivers," Peter said. "We must do something with that road."
Councillors Pierre Ranchhod and Nomhle Gaga added their voices to the concern about the Extension 6 road, identifying it as Same Street. "It has become a death trap," Ranchhod said, proposing that the municipality urgently source funds to fix it.
Peter is in the process of applying to the national treasury for a budget roll-over. According to a report tabled at the Council meeting on 25 August, the roll-over amount being requested is R53.7 million, which amounts to 80% of the municipality's capital expenditure and conditional grant budget for 2010/2011.
Part of these funds fall under the Municipal Infrastructure Grant, and it is from this grant that road repairs and construction are carried out. Repairs to the roads, to the extent that is now required following damage from weeks of heavy rain, were not allowed for in the current budget.
