The R394 road is an important stretch, connecting the N2 road near Phakade and the R61 road at Emagusheni.
A disgruntled community in the Eastern Cape has taken its protest to the next level, digging a trench across the R394 to prevent motorists from using the road.
The use of a trench moves away from the conventional protests of barricading roads with debris, rocks and burning tyres.
The R394 road is an important stretch, connecting the N2 road from Phakade and the R61 road at Emagusheni.
Precautions
Eastern Cape Transport Department spokesperson Unathi Binqose urged motorists to exercise caution when using the road.
“In one of the most despicable acts of protest, the protesting community of Gxwaleni Village have dug up a trench, crossing the R394 road, completely damaging the tarred road near their village.
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“At the crux of their protest is a demarcation issue, where they demand to be moved from one local municipality to the other,” Binqose said.
Repairs
Binqose said the road has since been fixed.
“Authorities have since put the soil back in the trench to restore the flow of traffic, but motorists are urged to approach the stretch with extra caution as it still poses a degree of risk if approached at high speed.”
Missing millions
Meanwhile, a wave of volatile protests has gripped the City of Johannesburg over water outages.
This has been exacerbated by allegations that R4 billion vanished from the Joburg Water bank account.
City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero dismissed allegations shared by, among others, DA Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille, who claimed the money had been allocated for water maintenance.
Water challenges
The R4 billion had allegedly been redirected from dealing with water challenges in the city.
Zille alleged that neither the mayor nor anyone in the city could explain how the money “vanished”.
Morero appeared before parliament’s portfolio committee on water and sanitation last month to answer questions on water challenges in Johannesburg and various interventions his government has placed to ensure that residents receive water.
Additional reporting by Vhahangwele Nemakonde
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