Dangerous Culvert

Dumisile Magagula

Date:18July 2024

Name: Dumisile Magagula

Place:Empumelelweni area

Municipality: Emalahleni Local Municipality

Province: Mpumalanga

Hazardous Culvert

#PEOPLELIFESINDANGER

The culvert was not built properly once rainwater is stacked between the culverts, water doesn’t pass through to the other side when it is raining heavily. The culverts become full, it’s also next to the road and tavern.

People from the community were hired to work in that construction they didn’t have the skills to build the small bridge, because the owner of the construction did not hire qualified people to build the culvert, They just dug and put the two pipes and added soil on top, on both sides you can see the pipes but the water is not passing through because of the waste inside the pipes. Now it becomes a threat to girls from the tavern at night, they can be raped because it’s wide open. A person can hide inside and fulfill his agenda, kids can fall in and drown when it’s full of water.

It happened on a four-way road in a location called Face Four. Since 2010 the construction has been left unfinished, and even the municipality has not acted on the matter until now. This was also hindered by the budget limitations and the project complexity is a major factor in the construction of that road. Another problem is the recurring heavy rain.

This was neglected from the start of the project, inspection was not done. It has become a hazard to people living around and those who walk at night. The responsibility for this rests not only with the current mayor but also with the past leaders who failed to prioritize and complete these projects.

The community is affected because they can’t walk free at night, also the girls when they come from the tavern. Their lives are in danger, even cars can be hijacked in that spot because it is across the road, and children can fall in that when it’s full of water.

 

It happened when the construction was doing the project of the culvert next to the road but they failed due to the lack of knowledge and having no skill, not hiring engineers who knew the job, and not inspecting the project.

The municipality has to start afresh and properly rebuild all the culverts by hiring engineers also inspectors.

 

The community has to rise above political distractions and focus on solving the immediate crisis