AfriForum demands an urgent meeting over Northern Cape roads
The condition of the roads in the Northern Cape has led the AfriForum branches in the province to demand an urgent meeting of the Northern Cape Department of Roads and Public Works. The organisation believes that the increasing deterioration of infrastructure – especially with regard to roads – not only poses a safety risk for the residents of the province but will also lead to economic deterioration.
AfriForum has written a letter to Fufe Makatong, the Northern Cape MEC of Roads and Public Works, in which the organisation offers to help identify areas for improvement in order to better the safety and standard of living of the residents.
The civil rights organisation intends to discuss solutions to the issues during a meeting as well as how these solutions can be implemented.
Werner Strauss, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Kalahari believes that poor road conditions have a significant impact on residents and their finances. “Residents who have to face these roads daily have to spend more money on the maintenance of their vehicles and also have to fear for their safety.”
In addition, there is great concern about the economic impact on the province as a whole – an issue that is not helped by the current economic climate in the country.
“The local tourism industry and small businesses suffer the most when roads are not maintained. Visitors do not want to worry about their vehicles being damaged if they have to brave these roads. It is time that plans are put in place to get the roads back in decent condition,” says Lize-Mari van der Linden, AfriForum’s District Coordinator for the Karoo.
The roads identified for urgent repair and maintenance work are:
- TR 692 (Siyathemba Local Municipality)
- DR3032 (Siyathemba Local Municipality)
- DR 02285 (Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality)
- DR 02287 (Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality)
- MR 00568 (Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality)
- DR 02342 (Karoo Hoogland Local Municipality)
