Potholes continue to pose a major headache for motorists across the Vhembe District. In some areas, though, residents are opting not to wait for the government to fix the roads one day but to make a temporary plan.
Limpopo Mirror caught up with three young men from Dzingahe village, outside Thohoyandou, while they were busy filling up huge potholes with soil on the busy internal road last Thursday (9 March). They do this voluntarily, but they say the monetary donations they get from motorists goes a long way in improving their lives.
Neani Tshikhudo, one of the volunteers, said that although they were worried about the damage caused by the heavy rains in their area, they were happy about the unexpected windfall it had provided them with. "We realised that the local road users were suffering because of the poor conditions of the roads after all the rain. The government cannot be everywhere at the same time to fix roads, and we thought that it would be good to take matters upon ourselves. That is why we decided to volunteer our services for the benefit of our society."
Orifuna Muofhe added that they were happy that their efforts were seen and appreciated by the road users. "People can see that we are helping them, and they really appreciate what we do. Some do not donate money, but their encouraging remarks motivate us to go on with our work. There is nothing more fulfilling than being appreciated by your own people, hence we will continue to do good for our people," he said.
Pro Netshirembe said that although the team enjoyed the work, they did have a shortage of tools. "It does not discourage us to execute our work with pride, but it would be highly appreciated if Good Samaritans could assist us with equipment like picks, spades, wheelbarrows and shovels. That way, we will be able to do an even better job."