Residents of Madibeng and Penry villages, outside Kuruman in the Northern Cape, say they will cast their votes to ensure that they hold the incoming government accountable.
The villagers have been complaining about the bad state of their roads since 2009. They shut down schools around the area for at least a year. However five years since the fifth administration took office, they say nothing has changed.
The communities of Penry and Madibeng thought their complaints for better roads have been heard. Despite, intervention and promises from all spheres of government, they are still faced with rocky, unmaintained gravel roads.
“They had promised us to give us better roads, nothing has happened yet. Now so we are still looking forward to that better life,” a resident lamented.
The villagers maintain that nothing has happened despite being told that millions of Rands have been invested to build roads.
Local government insists that construction of the road had started with only few kilometres covered. John Taolo District mayor, Sophia Mosikatsi, has called on people to be patient.
“We understand that they do need the road, but our people should be patient, because it’s not that we are doing nothing. We must ensure that those roads get attention and we build the roads. But it is not going to happen overnight or tomorrow.”
Despite their grievances, the residents are upbeat about putting a cross on the ballot. They are promising to take to the streets after elections if the status quo remains.
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