Is it tar? Is it gravel? No ... 'It's the worst road in South Africa'

Dirk Kotze of Readira Projects, an engineering and construction firm based in the Klipwal area, confirmed they had been awarded the tender for the refurbishment of the road but declined to comment any further, referring all queries to the department. 

Lisa Mangcu, acting chairperson of the provincial legislature's portfolio committee on transport, said they were not aware of the project. 

“There is nothing stopping the portfolio committee on transport in inquiring into this matter in the new year. But this will have to be tabled in the committee by DOT. And if there are challenges the national department of transport, through the roads entity, Sanral, will bring those to the attention of the committee.”

Quinton George, the owner of Bosveld Mine in the region, travels the road on a weekly basis. 

George said it was disgraceful. 

“Only one-half of it has been done and yet so much money has been spent by throwing mud into potholes, which is a temporary fix — and by temporary I mean days, not weeks or months. As a peripheral road on the edge of Mpumalanga it should be getting better attention.” 

A resident in the area, Thabo Ndlovu, said the state of the road was shocking. 

“It is hard to believe that in this day and age there are roads like this in South Africa. It’s neither gravel nor a tar road. It would be better if it was just gravel to be honest. I drive on the edge of the road that is just gravel because the shocks on my car have been damaged from driving into these potholes every day.”

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