Bad roads bring life in Klipvoorstad to a standstill

Crippling road infrastructure is threatening to cut off residents of Klipvoorstad from the outside world, leaving the rural village near Brits in the North West province virtually inaccessible.

The roads leading into the village are in such poor condition that even buses have refused to use them.

The damage was caused by floods more than a year ago, yet no repairs have been carried out.

Residents say the only bus company serving the area, Thari Bus Service, has suspended operations because of the deteriorating roads.

“Thari suspended its services to our village, Klipvoorstad, due to the poor condition of the road,” said resident Cynthia Kgofela.

Kgofela said the government has failed to repair the road since last year and has now claimed it is waiting for a grader to address the problem.

“The road does not need to be scraped; it needs to be refilled. We even offered stony soil from within the village to assist,” she said.

She said the situation has become dire, especially as the community prepares for a funeral this weekend.

“People will struggle to travel because there is no public transport,” she said.

Last year, villagers were forced to repair a damaged bridge themselves in order to regain access to transportation.

Another resident, Pretty Ngobeni, stated that the road is also used by school buses following the merger of Klipvoor’s primary and secondary schools. Learners are now transported daily to Fafung.

“Our children depend on these buses. Imagine if someone falls ill; an ambulance cannot even access the village,” she said.

Ngobeni said residents are already facing difficulties ahead of the weekend funeral.

“People will have to use the Lebotlwane road or the Borakalalo National Park road to enter

Klipvoorstad. That road is only accessible during the day, from 6am to 6pm,” said Ngobeni.

She added that the community has no taxis and relies solely on the Thari bus service.

“There is no other option for people to leave the village,” she said.

The suspended bus service was also the community’s main means of accessing essential services, including a clinic in Fafung, as there is no clinic in Klipvoorstad.

Community leader Elliot Ngobeni said residents were forced to create a makeshift road alongside the damaged one in an effort to keep the village accessible.

“There was a case where an ambulance could not reach a patient. The patient had to be airlifted to the hospital by helicopter,” he said.

Ngobeni said the Department of Public Works informed the community that all its machinery was undergoing servicing and that repairs would begin once the equipment was returned.

At the time of publication, the North West Department of Public Works and Thari Bus Service had not responded to requests for comment.