Community members from various areas around Mqanduli marched last week, protesting about the poor condition of their access roads, including the tarmac road from Gogozayo Junction to Xhora (Elliotdale).
One of the protesters, Sakhumzi Mahlaba, confirmed that everything came to a halt, including school attendance, as pupils were unable to attend school. He also mentioned that taxi operators decided to join the march because they, too, were affected by the poor road conditions.
“Due to demarcation, we fall under the King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality. We have made several attempts to seek assistance, but they did not care about us. We then decided to shut down everything, including Mqanduli town, because we were in desperate need of help. When it comes to access roads, they have never been maintained, making them difficult to use. The tarmac road from Gogozayo Junction to Elliotdale was allegedly constructed during the time of the late Chief Kaiser Dalindyebo (K.D) Matanzima.”
He added that the road is now nearly unusable due to potholes, which damage vehicles and cause unnecessary accidents.
According to him, they were informed that the road between Gogozayo and Elliotdale falls under the Department for Transport, not the KSD Municipality.
“I won’t lie — they do not care about us. They only remember us when they need our votes. After that, they forget the promises they made.”
One of the taxi drivers, Mzukisi Guntwana, confirmed that they have lost many relatives due to accidents caused by poor road conditions.
“As taxi operators, we also feel the pain because we transport people all the time. It is our responsibility to ensure their safety. Today, even our taxis did not operate because we decided to join the protest. As community members under KSD Municipality, we are not at all happy about the way we are treated,” Guntwana added.
The spokesperson for King Sabatha Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality, Sonwabo Mampoza, stated that no formal submission or engagement had been made by the protesting residents.
“No one, including Mayor Councillor Nyaniso Nelani, was approached about their complaints. The road they are protesting about is a Provincial Road. Mayor Nelani left the meeting he was chairing to address the protesting residents,” said Mampoza.
A spokesperson for the Department for Transport, Unathi Binqose, confirmed that this is their road and they do regular maintenance. He said even now, it is in their plans. This is one of the roads that they are always attending to because of its high volume of traffic.
“We are aware of their grievances about the potholes, but there are no plans to upgrade it, though we are aware of its problems,” said Binqose.
