Residents and motorists at Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape are demanding an urgent intervention on the poor state of roads in the rural town. The residents are accusing the Ingquza Hill Local Municipality of failing to take care of the roads in both of its towns, Lusikisiki and Flagstaff.
R61 from Port St Johns to Bizana passes through the pothole ridden tourist destination. The dilapidating state of roads has been identified by business owners as one the reasons development is slow in the area.
Lusikisiki is known for its natural beauty and untouched beaches but the roads in the town are some of the most dangerous to drive on. Motorists say the Ingquza Hill Municipality has neglected these roads for years.
“I travel from Port Shepstone, once you finish KZN roads, coming to Eastern Cape, they are not taking care of the roads at all but much worse are the roads here in Lusikisiki, it’s a town but the vehicles are getting damaged,” says one motorist.
“From Lusikisiki, Flagstaff to Bizana, the roads are bad. You can’t travel at night now we need the community to come together and fix it,” Nkosiphendule Nomthebe, resident.
Some citizens have resorted to repair the potholed roads to make ends meet. Businesses are also affected by the state of roads in Lusikisiki.
“The roads have a negative impact on our businesses. This town is next to big things like the N2 wild coast, it’s a tourism town and we have a beautiful ocean. The situation is worse for small cars,” says one business owner.
“It’s been a while since the municipality patched these potholes, some people fill potholes with rocks. They are not taking care of the roads at all,” says Jackson Khenene who is a taxi operator.
Attempts to get comment from The Ingquza Hill Municipality were unsuccessful.
