Bityi residents near Mthatha raised their own funds to level this gravel road in their community after their pleas for government help went unanswered for years. Photo: Nombulelo Damba-Hendrik

• Villagers from Bityi, near Mthatha are digging into their already stretched pockets to pay for the repair of a gravel road in the area.
• For months, households have been contributing, some as little as R20, to repair the gravel road that has deteriorated due to years of neglect.
• Residents say taxi drivers had refused to travel beyond the tarred section, forcing commuters to walk long distances from the main road.

Villagers from Bityi, near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, are digging into their already stretched social grants to pay for repairs to a gravel road in the area.

Residents say taxi drivers had refused to travel beyond the tarred section, forcing commuters to walk long distances from the main road. The gravel road links the Bityi main road to Krancolo and Mabheleni villages.

For months, households have been contributing money, some as little as R20, to repair the gravel road that has deteriorated due to years of neglect.

Community activist Lindokuhle Xego said residents grew tired of repeatedly asking the government for help and decided to pay for solutions themselves.

According to Xego, residents have spent years pleading with King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality to fix the access road. Earlier this year, residents started collecting money to repair it.

He said the poor condition of the road also affected access to emergency services. “Ambulances no longer enter the village. They stop near the main road, and sick people are forced to walk about 3km or more to reach them,” said Xego

He said teachers working at two schools in the area leave their cars near the main road and walk to their schools.

“Our fear is that these teachers will eventually become frustrated and request transfers to other schools. That is why we decided to take matters into our own hands,” he said.

Residents approached a local grader owner for assistance.

“The money is collected through different sections of the community. In my section alone, we collected R1,900, which was used to buy fuel. Residents also volunteer their labour by collecting stones and filling potholes,” said Xego.

Community leader Phelekwa Makeleni said Bityi is home to many elderly residents and experiences high levels of crime.

“When social grants are paid, people are often robbed while walking home from town. We do not blame the taxi drivers because we can see the condition of the road.”

“Unfortunately, the municipality is not willing to help us, despite being aware of the problem,” she said.

Ward councillor Sandla Tokwana (ANC) said he personally reported their challenges to the OR Tambo District Municipality and the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality, but to no avail.

On the issue of the community being without water for a while, he said that a generator that pumped water into the communal taps has no diesel, and a faulty switch is in need of repair.

“Last week, I visited the municipality’s offices seeking intervention. Unfortunately, I could not get hold of the officials responsible for water services, but I will continue pushing the matter,” he said.

King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality spokesperson Sonwabo Mampoza said the municipality was not aware of the condition of the road.

“Since this complaint has now been raised, we will engage the ward councillor and consider including these roads,” he said.

Questions to OR Tambo District municipality spokesperson Ncebakazi Kolwane were not answered by the time of publication, despite assurances that a response would be provided.

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