The community of Block U in Mabopane is up in arms. The poor service delivery in the area has increased their cars being confined to their yards for months now because of the terrible roads in the area.
Jimmy Makhafola has been living here since 1987 but has had enough. “I have given up, yes, because of this terrible road or this terrible place, because of now. From ’87, living like this.”
“But now, the contractors have started making things worse. You can’t live like this. It’s too long,” said Makhafola.
The poor road conditions have made access impossible for law enforcement and emergency services. “When it’s raining heavily, you can’t move around. People can’t, you can’t go to work if you’re working,” said Makofela.
“Children can’t go to school. Ambulances can’t move in or out. Mortuary Vehicles or police, they can’t come in. Then you are stranded or you are locked in your house or locked out in your place.”
Anxiety levels are rising and residents are desperate for help, as the cars have been trapped in their yards for months now. “All they want is for them to return and ensure that our people can access their homes. And once they had fixed the situation here, they can go into the luxury of their homes, and think about how they are going to get the budget to come and finish this tar road, because this is no longer a request. It has never been a request,” added Makhafola.
Another frustrated community member said, “It’s a nightmare, it has become a disaster. It’s not a joke. I can’t sleep in the house because there’s water and mud everywhere. From the yard, even inside the house. It becomes worse. I have got footage, I have got pictures that I’ll show you. There’s no way that you can do nothing else in the house, in the yard, everywhere. Up until my neighbours will come and assist me.”
The community protested over the years, demanding a proper road. Finally, last year, their cries were heard. Work on the road started in April, but was never completed. The contractor abandoned the project late last year, citing the city’s financial challenges.
However, the prospects don’t look good, in the previous interview with the media the city said “as Tshwane says there’s no money to complete the project. The city’s financial woes are compromising service delivery, leaving many projects abandoned. “And of course, we were also downgraded by Moody’s twice in one financial year, which has placed it in a very difficult situation,” said the city.
