According to SABC, the people who live in the villages located in the Niani area outside of Musina in Limpopo have started paving the road that connects Dambale and Manenzhe on their own.
Since many years ago the 13-kilometer gravel road that connects a number of villages, has been a hindrance to both economic activities and the delivery of services.
The community members spent their own money to purchase the building materials, while some of the materials were contributed by local businesses.
Residents claim that the main road that connects the villages of Manenzhe, Bale, and Dambale makes it challenging for motorists to travel to and from work each day. They also say that due to its poor state, business activities are discouraged.
Shadrack Phuravha, a prominent member of the community, commented that “we often saw accidents happening up there and even here, they were big holes in such a way that some cars broke down.” We came to the conclusion that we needed to go out and look for donations in order to be able to put cement.”
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A number of members of the community have expressed their dedication to the project. They claim that the paved road will make it much simpler for them to get to their respective locations.
“We are aware that this is a difficult task; however, ambulances use this road; on occasion, they have been forced to take circuitous routes in order to reach the location of the patient. This cannot be allowed to continue because it takes people’s lives. As young people, we came to assist these elderly people in repairing the road. As you can see, the road is in the process of being prepared but is not yet complete. Nevertheless, we did everything in our power to assist.
In response, a spokesperson for the Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure Department named Witness Tiva stated that there are plans to construct a new tarred road in the Niani region. Tiva reports that they have hired an outside consultant to assist with the road’s design.