KARIEGA – A Kariega resident who previously stepped in to clean up a neglected public space has now taken on another responsibility usually carried out by the municipality by repairing potholes in the town.

Earlier this year, Barend Lombard, founder of the “I Love Uitenhage” Facebook page, led a community-driven clean-up and restoration project at Waterfall Park in Bubbs Avenue. With the park nearing completion, Lombard turned his attention to the deteriorating condition of nearby roads.

His latest initiative follows a previous UD Express report highlighting the growing number of large, unrepaired potholes across Kariega.

Lombard said he decided to begin repairing potholes near Waterfall Park after residents repeatedly raised concerns about damaged roads, broken pavements and water leaks. “As you know, ‘I Love Uitenhage’ started to clean the old Waterfall Park in Bubbs Avenue earlier this year. We did it in phases and as money became available. Now that the actual park is almost done, with only the lights remaining, I started to look at the area around the park and the potholes were right there,” he said.

He challenged residents to donate a bucket of pothole repair mix or contribute money as part of their 67 Minutes for Mandela Day. Although only a few people responded, the donations were enough to begin the first repairs.

Lombard documented the process on social media, explaining that repairing one large pothole required about two-and-a-half buckets of pothole mix at a cost of approximately R530. The remaining material was used to repair three smaller potholes nearby.

He said the exercise highlighted how deceptive potholes can be. “Not all potholes will be this deep, but it taught me one thing. Potholes can be deceiving in size if you just look at the surface. The depth is where the volume comes in.”

Lombard added that local business owner Christopher Hiscock of CH Mechanical and two employees stopped to assist by sweeping the road and covering the fresh repair with dust to prevent tar from sticking to passing vehicles.

Looking ahead, Lombard said deciding where to repair next would not be easy. “Every person believes that their street is the most important one, but I will have to see which of the main routes are first up for fixing and then move to the lesser-used roads with the most potholes.”

He acknowledged that funding would determine how much work could be done. “It all depends on the support I get from the community and businesses because it is a costly exercise. I must also confess that I am not an expert in road building, so I am willing and capable of filling small to medium-sized potholes. The big ones I will leave to the experts.”

Lombard said the response from residents had been encouraging, although support from businesses had been limited. “The response from the residents is heart-warming, while local businesses are very quiet except for a few who have helped in the past. An initiative like this needs community leaders and big businesses to buy in.”

He believes residents have a role to play in improving their town but said the municipality must also fulfil its responsibilities. “Everybody has a responsibility towards his or her community. The Kariega community has now stepped in to fill that gap left by the municipality,”he said.

Lombard also called on Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe to prioritise service delivery.

“I hereby ask Mayor Lobishe to really look at the cards in her hands and decide how she is going to play them before November. Community service should be the ultimate goal for any mayor, so why is it not for you?” he said.

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