After waiting in vain for the Thulamela Municipality to fix their roads and bridges, communities in Mavhode and Madatshitshi village near Gogogo in the Mutale area have launched their own initiative.
An ad hoc committee was formed to drive the community project. Mr Shumani Muthala, chairperson of the committee, said the realisation that they might have to act themselves had already dawned on them in 2019. He said they decided to pool resources to try to find solutions to their transport problems.
The lack of accessible roads and bridges – especially during the rainy season – has a major impact on learners, who are often unable to travel to nearby schools such as Mavhode Primary and Vele Secondary. "When rivers are coming down in flood it also means that emergency services, such as ambulances, cannot reach the area," said Muthala. "Pensioners who are supposed to get their funds from the nearby SASSA pay point, cannot cross the river and are left without money," he added.
Muthala said the Thulamela Municipality had fixed one crossing in 2022, but several others still needed urgent attention. When further promises failed to materialise, residents began raising funds to carry out the work themselves.
"R20,000 was collected to purchase cement, sand, stone and to hire an excavator," he said. The funds were also used to pay for petrol for vehicles collecting sand and stones and to buy food for the workers.
Thulamela Municipality's acting spokesperson, Fulufhelo Bologo, said that while the municipality was responsible for maintaining roads, its mandate covered only local roads, not those categorised as national or provincial.
"Even though the Madatshitshi and Mavhode villages fall under Thulamela Local Municipality, the roads most likely fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Works, which is responsible for infrastructure projects, including road construction and maintenance," she said.