Download PDFThe residents of Kagiso are at the end of their patience concerning the potholes. The recent heavy rains have turned the township’s roads into a minefield of potholes, leading to frustration, anger, damage to cars, and even accidents.
Resident, Neo Mokwena, 32, “It’s like driving on a battlefield, you never know when you will hit a pothole and damage your car tyres.” She says that she has been driving on the terrible Kagiso roads for years, the situation is worsening. Mokwena continues saying that “the potholes are so deep and many that it’s like the road is deliberately trying to destroy your car.”
Mokwena says that she has replaced her car tyres three times already this year and that it is costing her a lot of money to pay. The 32-year-old raised her concerns, saying that she is not sure if it is still safe to drive on those roads anymore.
29-year-old, Zoleka Mabunda, also a resident, says she is tired of the condition of the roads. She worries about potential accidents for speeding cars. Mabunda says that it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt.
The potholes are causing the motorists stress and anxiety. Mabunda goes to work and is always on edge when driving here. She is also worried that she will hit a pothole and damage her car. For her, the potholes are making the roads look like a war zone, which is embarrassing, living in a town free of war but that cannot even maintain its road infrastructure.
For Sipho Modibe, 34, the potholes are not just a nuisance, he says they also affect their livelihoods. Sometimes they have had problems getting deliveries because trucks struggle to navigate the roads. He says that it is hard to run a small business when the roads are in a bad condition. They have tried to engage the local municipality, but it seems like nothing is happening, and it’s also like they are not taking the problem seriously.
Mpho Ramaleba, 26, who is a concerned mother of two, says that she is worried about the safety of the children. She says that the potholes are so deep that they are causing cars to swerve all over the roads. Ramaleba is concerned, saying that if a child is crossing the road alone, they could be hit by swerving cars. She says that it would be a nightmare scenario, but it can be a real come-to-life situation. The worried mother believes that they need the local municipality to act.
The residents of Kagiso are calling on the municipality to take immediate action to fix the potholes. They say they are not asking for much, they want safe roads to drive on without worrying about damaging their cars or hurting themselves and pedestrians by causing accidents.
This article is an opinion piece submitted on 05 March 2025. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect those of Karibu! Online or Khanya College. You may republish this article, so long as you credit the authors and Karibu! Online (www.Karibu.org.za), and do not change the text. Please include a link back to the original article.
