Statement by Ald Karen Smith – DA Sundays River Valley Mayoral Candidate:
The deteriorating condition of the DR02006 in the Sundays River Valley is damaging vehicles and driving motorists away from a route that communities and the local agricultural economy depend on.
During my recent visit, hundreds of potholes lined the road towards Enon and Beersheba. While rain makes conditions worse, the concern extends well beyond temporary disruptions. Motorists face an ongoing risk of vehicle damage whenever they use the road, scholar transport operations are disrupted, and some motorists are choosing to avoid it altogether.
For residents, farmers, and transport operators, this means additional costs and increasingly difficult journeys. People should not have to choose between risking expensive repairs and avoiding a road that connects them to work, services, and neighbouring communities.
The DR02006 serves Nqweba, Enon, Beersheba, Moses Mabida, and surrounding communities. It carries agricultural traffic, public transport, and emergency services, and supports the citrus industry on which so many local livelihoods depend. Allowing it to deteriorate undermines both daily life and economic activity.
There are also serious safety concerns on the DR1831, commonly known as the Elandsriver road, where flood damage has left sections caving in and crumbling away. Farmers have attempted repairs using their own resources and erected warning signs, but professional engineering intervention is urgently needed. Although some bridges have been repaired, the remaining damage requires a lasting solution.
The DA, through constituency leader Dr Malcolm Figg MPL, has escalated the DR02006 matter to Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy after repeated correspondence and formal questions to the provincial government failed to secure comprehensive rehabilitation. We have requested her intervention to obtain a funded repair plan with clear implementation deadlines.
Dr Figg has also written to Eastern Cape Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha about the DR1831, requesting an urgent engineering assessment, immediate safety measures, and a funded rehabilitation plan with firm commencement and completion dates.
Temporary patching cannot substitute for proper rehabilitation. Residents should not have to absorb mounting vehicle repair costs while farmers take on public road maintenance.
The DA will continue pressing for lasting repairs that protect road users, restore confidence in these routes, and support the businesses and communities that depend on them.
Residents have a choice this November to stop the chaos and choose service delivery by voting for the Democratic Alliance.
