Khasa Locality community members in Elliotdale threatened the government that they would not vote if their road is not maintained and tarred.
They protested, demanding that the mayor of Mbhashe Local Municipality, Councillor Samkelo Janda, listen to their grievances.
One of the protestors, Nomfundiso Phuka, said that their road was last maintained in 1999, and since then nothing has been done.
According to her, they were struggling because it was hard for them to take their loved ones to Madwaleni Hospital when there was a problem.
“It is hard, even when you are calling an ambulance due to this bad road. We are forced to spend R800 hiring bakkies when someone is sick. Melithafa Clinic is not far when you are travelling by vehicle, but it is hard for us because the vehicles do not come to our areas.
“This leads to some of the people defaulting, because it is very far when you are walking,” said Phuka.
According to her, the Department of Education gave them a new school, Gwenteshe Agricultural School, that was opened this year, but they doubt whether it will function properly because there are no teachers who will manage to go to the area that has no road.
Phuka added that they had raised this issue for a long time, but no one cares about them.
Another community member, Brenda Langeni, said they are struggling, and need the municipality to do something about this.
“If our loved ones have passed away, we are forced to carry them with our own hands due to this. We have spoken about this so many times, but nothing is happening. We are now appealing to the municipality to take us seriously and solve it,” said Langeni.
Communications Manager of Mbhashe Local Municipality, Babalwa Magqwanti, confirmed that the municipality is aware of the protest that took place at Khasa locality in Elliotdale, last week.
She said that the Portfolio Head of Infrastructure, Councillor Kungeka Makapela, attended to the community on the day of the protest, and addressed them on plans by the municipality for this road.
“The 10km Khasa road belongs to the Department of Transport; however, following recent disasters, the municipality has conducted assessment with the scope of works to be done.
“A business plan has been submitted to the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC) for consideration that is also in talks with the Department of Transport to ensure that the portion of the tar road to the 10km off ramp is either maintained or fixed as it belongs to them also,” said Magqwanti.
Spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Department of Transport, Unathi Binqose, said he knew nothing about this protest, but if the road belongs to them and needs to be attended to, that is what they intend to do.
“If it is an access road, it means it belongs to the municipality. Regardless of that, we acknowledge the problems of the road whether it is an access road or not.
“Even if it belongs to the municipality or to the province, we have a plan in place to attend to it. That is why we have procured some graders, because they are used for rural roads. We are in the process of licensing them,” said Binqose.
He added that they also want to get the operators training so that they do not damage the equipment when fixing the roads.
Binqose said that when they are done with those processes, they will make sure that they are scattered in all provinces to assist the existing graders that have been doing the job to ensure that they assist.
“We urge patience from our people; at least more graders have been procured to solve the problems that have been raised.”
