RISKY PORTHOLES

Thobejane Mpho

Thobejane Mpho
Lydenburg Village
Thaba Chweu Local Municipality
Mpumalanga province
20 June 2024
RISKY PORTHOLES
The people of Mashishing village are having a huge matter of unsafe roads, where they are
experiencing some risky portholes on their roads near the town. This is effective for all the
citizens of that area, who are mostly using those roads and also are mostly affecting the
surrounding community. They use those curtain roads day by day. Lastly, it is very impactful
to all the living organisms living next to those roads, as they cause dust that could affect
the health of the citizens of Lydenburg. This has been happening from five years back until
today. This has been troubling our people and it is continuing so badly.
Most of the roads near the town are damaged to the point where we are unable to use them
regularly. People who are living in this area always suffer to be on time for every
appointment, they have to report early for duties as they struggle to pass through those
roads. As they take a long to pass through those portholes on the roads, they are costed as
they have to spend more on wheel tires. The people who are situated next to the road are
living a dangerous life because they experience dust coming from those portholes especially
when there is traffic congestion on that massive road. Those roads are no longer called
roads, but deadly dusty roads of Lydenburg. The sad thing is that more innocent people of
Mashishing are inhaling dust unwillingly daily. However, the municipality of Thaba
Chweu is turning a blind eye to that issue. They refuse to end that as they are the ones
holding on to the community as a whole. The community is losing hope in the municipality and
it may end up having server illnesses.
Suggestions that we have as a community are as follows:- we need our municipality to fulfill
their duties on time, to meet the community needs and wants, and we need proper
engagements with the municipality to be able to fix our issues fast. We are willing to help
them with every difficulty they are facing regarding the activities towards the community
needs. They have to learn to work together with the people living in that area. Alerting the
leaders of the community will assist.
The community must inform the municipality formally and gently about the issues they
are going through on their land. They have to work hard together as one team to avoid
conflicts. The municipality has to effectively work on problems like the one we are facing
today. This has to end as fast as possible as it is more harmful to the communities’ health
and safety. It is affecting everyone passing on that particular road to meet their needs and
wants.