By Sayuri Persotham
We joke a lot about the potholes, we even named a restaurant in honour of Makhanda’s two main features (potholes and donkeys), but biting humour does little to fix the very real danger of the city’s broken roads.
Damaged road pose major risks to both driver and vehicle safety and mounting frustration about the situation has prompted citizens and businesses to take matters into their own hands, initiating community-led repairs. With local businesses chipping in to offer practical support, community engagement and keeps Makhanda’s traffic flowing.
Now, going beyond inspiring local businesses to fix roads, Democratic Alliance Councillor Cary Clark is advocating for the intervention of the Eastern Cape Department of Transport (DoT) to restore district and provincial roads. This claim is supported by the Moqhaka Municipality v. Claassens 2013 court ruling, whereby governing authorities are obligated to maintain road safety standards, including pothole repairs.
Clark has partnered with Philippa Irvine of Rhodes University’s Department of Geography to identify which roads are eligible for repair by the DoT. Irvine has asked the DoT shadow minister to escalate matters to a provincial level and Clark has also contacted the DoT DA representative to request a formal road oversight.
Clark hopes that obtaining an official report will push Makana Municipality to take action on the road situation.
In the meantime, Clark expressed her gratitude to King Construction Civils and Lawns, which cleared obstructions on Craddock Road on Tuesday 29 July. Clark’s previous lobbying endeavors earned residents the repair of George Street, just in time for the National Arts Festival.
