By Luvuyo Mjekula
George Street in Makhanda is a hazardous road, and according to several residents, nothing is being done to address the issue.
“I have been reporting the dangers of George Street to both [the Makana Municipality and the Department of Transport]since 2023, but nothing has been done,” the DA’s ward eight councillor, Cary Clark, said recently.
Clark was commenting after a head-on collision about two weeks ago. “Last night, a massive accident as a result of a manhole and no warnings or streetlights. Are we waiting for someone to die again? Why is nobody responding?” she wrote on social media.
The police confirmed the accident. “We can confirm that the South African Police Service is investigating a case of reckless and negligent driving after a report of an accident in George Street in Makhanda,” said police spokesperson, Captain Marius McCarthy. According to McCarthy, a vehicle that travelled along George Street in Makhanda swerved to avoid an open manhole in the road and consequently collided head-on with a car travelling in the opposite direction. He said both drivers sustained serious injuries and were taken by EMS to Settlers Hospital for medical treatment. Both vehicles carried no passengers at the time of the incident.
Makhanda residents react to the accident.
“[The driver] actually hit the manhole which the cover is missing from, and if you are not from here, don’t know the road, and in pouring rain, it can easily happen. There is no warning! I myself had nearly driven into it before, even though I knew about it. So yes, many people race down George Street, but, in this case, it was due to infrastructure,” said one resident. Another wrote: “I stay right in front of this manhole. It’s been like this for four years now, and no one cares. When it’s off, it just gets put back on, not fixing the problem.”
The provincial department is engaging local authorities.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape Department of Transport has acknowledged that George Street is a provincial road. “This indeed is a provincial road in Makhanda. It is a street in town,” said spokesperson Unathi Binqose. He said that motorists’ failure to adhere to the speed limit contributed to road accidents. “Roads within an urban network have a speed limit of 60km/h. This needs to be enforced by law enforcement.” Binqose said the department was engaging the municipality’s technical office regarding other matters raised by residents. “The responsibility of street lights in town, as well as the reticulation system, is a municipal responsibility,” Binqose said.
Makana roads department “in a shambles”
While Ward 4 DA Councillor Geoff Embling reported on Thursday last week that the sentiment at Monday’s infrastructure portfolio meeting was that there has been a steady uptick of water leaks being fixed, including those that had been reported for years, the opposite was true for local roads. “The roads department is still in a shambles, and workers have been idling around for over a year, waiting in protest for their protective clothing. They used to sit up at Waainek, out of sight, until their hideout was exposed, and now they are allegedly mooning around up at Noluthando Hall,” said Embling.
He said the portfolio chairperson, Ramie Xonxa, lambasted the Roads manager for allowing this to happen. Embling added that Makana Municipality had failed to get out of the starting blocks regarding the tender and supply chain processes, and “the wonderful tarring we see around town is thanks to Hilton, the SEF team, and private companies”.
Makana Municipality responds
Makana spokesperson Anele Mjekula explained that George Street, the N2 next to Settlers’ Monument and the R67 starting from Makana Way going down to Jacob Zuma Drive, were the first priority on the municipality’s list of street light repairs. “We have started with R67, and a week after we switched on the lights. The cables were stolen and the kiosk was burned next to Jackie Store, which feeds the streetlights.
“At George Street we have started fixing the lights starting from Webber going up Thackeray Street and the lights are on. This is an ongoing programme; however, it is delayed by vandalism which we are forced to attend immediately.”
Commenting on traffic regulations, Mjekula said the speed limit on George Street is 60km/h, and although the municipality has jurisdiction over the road, it belongs to the province.
“We try and do speed checks at least once a week in the area.”
