AfriForum’s MidWit neighbourhood team tackles potholes in Middelburg and eMalahleni

AfriForum’s MidWit neighbourhood team made significant headway against potholes in June, using approximately 12 tons of asphalt in a single month to repair road damage in Middelburg and eMalahleni (Witbank).

Hard work yields results in eMalahleni

The MidWit neighbourhood team – comprising full-time workers dedicated to various repair and refurbishment projects – partnered with the Heritage of Faith Ministries International congregation in eMalahleni in June to repair Duiker Street in Reyno Ridge.

AfriForum’s Secunda Teks and Bethal neighbourhood teams also stepped in to swiftly address the deplorable condition of this important thoroughfare. Within three days, the teams used 290 bags (7,25 tons) of asphalt to repair potholes, while also repainting worn road markings on the street’s speed bumps as part of the project. The grass at the corner of Duiker Street and Hans Strydom Avenue was also cut as part of this refurbishment initiative.

In addition to the Duiker Street project, AfriForum’s MidWit neighbourhood team undertook various cleanup operations in June across several streets in Reyno Ridge and Ben Fleur, including Estelle, Da Vinci, Stander, and Drure Streets, as well as Margaretha, Klipspringer, and Aquarius Avenues. During these efforts, more than 40 bags of litter were cleared, and potholes in Rosemead Street were repaired.

Meanwhile, the neighbourhood team has also launched a pothole repair project at HTS Witbank, covering Danie Theron and Beyers Streets. Repairing the various massive potholes in these streets will not only enhance the school’s image but also improve traffic flow and address safety risks in the area.

According to Sarel van Heerden, Chairperson of AfriForum’s Witbank branch, communities must now take responsibility themselves and step in to save their towns. “Waiting for the municipality is no longer a solution. We must now do it ourselves,” he explains. He encourages residents to, in effect, “adopt” their street, neighbourhood, or even parks as a community and take over responsibility for the maintenance of roads, streetlights, and parks, among other things, rather than waiting for the municipality and watching as decay sets in. “By pooling financial resources as a group of residents in a single street or neighbourhood, residents – with the help of AfriForum’s neighbourhood teams – will be able to ensure that maintenance is carried out on an ongoing basis.”

Neighbourhood team tackles series of pothole projects in Middelburg

The MidWit neighbourhood team also undertook various pothole repair and cleanup projects in Middelburg during June. Potholes were repaired in Blackmoore, Watt, Mega, Beyers Naude, Elektra, and Kwarts Streets, as well as Pongola Drive, Koper Avenue, and Tilliet Crescent, while the team also carried out cleanup operations in the green belt in Verdoorn Street and along Vos and Meyer Streets. Approximately 230 bags of litter were removed during these cleanup projects.

Furthermore, a major repair project was undertaken in Jakaranda Street and at the entrance to Hoërskool Kanonkop after a water leak caused serious damage to the road surface, resulting in multiple potholes. After the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality failed to repair the water leak promptly and subsequently – citing an alleged budget shortfall – failed to fix the potholes, AfriForum decided to intervene and repair the potholes themselves.

Mark Salzwedel, Chairperson of AfriForum’s Middelburg branch, believes the team’s work is already yielding noticeable results. “Middelburg is the jewel of Mpumalanga, yet it is burdened by numerous problems. However, the AfriForum neighbourhood team put their back into it in June and made incredible progress in sprucing up the town and achieving impressive results despite the state of disrepair.”

Make a difference in your community today. Join AfriForum and support the work being done by the MidWit neighbourhood team. Visit www.wordlid.co.za for more information.