KZN transport department has a road maintenance backlog of R20-billion
Hundreds of villagers from Nkandla eMnyama under the Nkandla Local Municipality have been blocking entrance roads to their communities since Monday.
They are demanding that government repair and resurface gravel and mud roads in their area, saying the poor condition of the roads has damaged emergency vehicles and hindered job creation.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
In February, the regional transport department sent graders to repair some of the badly potholed roads. But villagers say the road work made things worse and they want a permanent solution.
Many protesters told GroundUp they would boycott the upcoming local government elections unless the roads are fixed. They are also demanding that transport MEC Siboniso Duma urgently intervene.
Bongani Xulu, representing the Nkandla eMnyama Community Development group, said residents want the opportunity to speak directly to officials about their concerns.
Nkandla's rural villages are separated by mountainous terrain, rivers and forests.
Nikeziwe Nala, from Vutshini village, said, "We have been voting since 1994 but still there is no service delivery."
Residents say they have been protesting about the state of their roads since 2023 to no avail.
Roads in neighbouring Nkandla eMhlophe are also in a poor condition. The Ekombe Police Station, Ekombe District Hospital, the Post Office, the Mfongosi Clinic and Mfongosi Police station were built there so that villagers would not have to travel over 100kms to town to access essential services. But reaching these facilities on unsafe roads, especially when it rains, is difficult.
Ekombe Hospital director Bonginkosi Zungu said management had requested that roads leading to their facility be repaired.
"Some women give birth at home and inside ambulances because of this road. Ambulances need to be repaired often. Most patients transport themselves to other hospitals because the condition of roads delay our service delivery," he said.
Protest leader Xolani Mbokazi said the poor road conditions had discouraged investors. "First, a tree plantation company was closed, and now a tea factory is also hesitant to operate in the area because of road conditions," he said.
Transport MEC Siboniso Duma said, "We have received messages from community members appreciating the work that is being done despite our limited resources. There is a backlog of over R20-billion in maintenance throughout the province."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
