Grannies help repair roads neglected by municipality

Women from Metsi-Matsho village are among the residents of Metsi-Matsho village working to fix the gravel roads. Photo: Tladi Moloi

For decades, gravel roads in Metsi-Matsho village have been left to decay without any maintenance by the municipality. Residents have now decided to repair the roads themselves.

When GroundUp visited the village on Thursday, at least 16 people, including older women, were working together, pushing wheelbarrows to fill potholes. Others were digging drainage trenches. These are only temporary measures until the municipality fixes the roads properly.

Among them was Mosa Dlamini. He said unemployed residents work during the week, and others join in on weekends. Some residents who could not assist donated money for food and water for the workers.

Metsi-Matsho was established in 1987. According to Dlamini, the roads were last fixed between 1990 and 1992.

“The road is bad and it doesn’t look like the municipality will ever attend to it,” he said.

“We have to walk about a kilometre to reach transport, and some people are too old for that. Buses and taxis stopped coming here because the road is too risky. Ambulances and school transport also struggle to get through.”

Dlamini said the community has reported the problem many times without success. “When you go to the executive mayor, she tells you to go to the municipal manager, who then sends you to the speaker,” he said.

He said their road was not included in the draft Integrated Development Plan presented in February. “We were told the ward councillor would add it, but when the budget was tabled, our road was still not listed,” he said.

Ward 31 councillor Moses Malawane (MAP16) declined to respond to questions. When pressed, he said, “I always call community meetings. If there are problems, I will address everything in meetings.”

Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality spokesperson Thabo Kessah said: “The municipality is doing its best to fix all the roads, especially key and access roads that link clinics, schools and the main roads. Such work is already in progress in various areas, and Metsi-Matsho residents, like any deserving residents across the municipality, will also be attended to soon.”

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