Potholes affecting commuters between Giyani and Modjadjiskoof, Limpopo

Motorists on the Branboontjies road between Giyani and Modjadjiskloof in Limpopo say the pothole-riddled road is negatively affecting their livelihoods. The stretch of road that connects Mooketsi and Modjadjiskloof and Mooketsi and Giyani, runs through several commercial areas that include farms, a school and factories.

Motorists say the business community has on numerous occasions patched the potholes, but the patches wear away soon after.

Learners at Platland Primary School travel to the farm school between Maphalle and Modjadjiskloof. They commute daily on the pothole-riddled stretch of road from their homes in Moeketsi. The bus driver, Abel Sithole, says the road conditions make his job difficult.

“I ferry school kids from Mooketsi to Platland Primary School daily. These potholes make it difficult for me to do my job, sometimes they cause the bus to break down. I hope government can fix this road.”

Sithole says his employer often has to pay large amounts of money to fix the bus due to damage caused by potholes.

“When the bus breaks down it is quite expensive to fix. When there is a breakdown, often we need to ask for lifts for the children because their parents don’t want them to miss school, this situation is really bad.”

Other motorists, Francois Mare and Samuel Kubayi, say the tar on the road needs to be completely removed and re-done as patches are no longer effective.

“Well I think the government can do more, they could have made a plan to remove the tar road between the holes. 2. They keep filling the potholes but there is no difference and the situation remains the same.”

The Limpopo Department of  Public Works spokesperson, Witness Tiva, says they have set aside over R100 million to patch potholes on roads.

“We have set aside R135 million to ensure that we do at least 12% of our road network there is a shortfall of about R400 million that we need to ensure that our road network is pothole-less and Sanral is also coming on board to ensure that they rehabilitate roads that have lost their lifespan they have set aside R800 million for these roads.”

In the meantime, residents continue to be hopeful that the current shortfall of over R400 million needed to patch all the potholes in the province will be covered, to ensure that Limpopo is pothole-free.