Residents of Kgapane township near Tzaneen in Limpopo have expressed concerns over the state of D3180 road between Kgapane and Modjadjiskloof.
Several gapping sinkholes are developing on the road caused by soil erosion. This is due to what residents call poor workmanship and sheer lack of diligence.
The busy D3180 is one of longest roads in the Letaba municipal area. It is also an economic route used by farmers ferrying their produce to major markets.
The road poses a threat to pedestrians and motorists alike as there are no warning signs on the road’s condition. Some residents are also using the sinkholes as waste dumping sites.
Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Matome Serumula has outlined that there is no sign from the municipality that the road will be under construction.
“We are here to make sure that the municipality and the MEC come and observe and do oversight for the benefit of our people. This road has been marked with accidents, this road as we have observed and you have observed yourselves, the road is caving in from inside which makes it difficult for the traffic, community, residents to go about their own livelihood each and every day. One, it is caving in, two, there is no road for traffic and three, there is nothing that shows this road will be under construction,” says Serumula.
Residents and motorists have called on government to fix the road as a matter of urgency.
“We are pleading for assistance as we are not safe when we use this road. The road is caving in on both sides. Even our kids are not safe as the can fall into the sinkhole at any point and injure themselves. We implore the municipality to fix the road to enable traffic flow and for us pedestrians to be safe. We are not happy with the state of this road as the road is not holding anymore. We can’t even walk freely as we have to wait for the cars to pass before we can go about our day. This road is dangerous if you are driving here and you do not really know the road, you are in trouble. As motorists we have to stop and give each other way,” a motorists said.
The Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure spokesperson, Witness Tiva says they are contemplating both interim and permanent solutions to the problem.
“As the department we will in the interim install signs on the road to indicate the locations of the sinkhole while a permanent solution is being contemplated on the D3180. We will also protect the sinkholes while we seek a solution. We have already visited the road for oversight,” says Tiva.
As residents await a solution, the D3180 remains a death-trap.
