Note to Broadcasters: Please find linked soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Cllr Willem Mostert.
The DA in the JB Marks Local Municipality, after continuous effort, welcomes the repair of the Rysmierbult Road and will now start pursuing the repair of the R501 Road between Tuscany Ridge and Rheinmetall.
With a maximum speed limit of between 80 and 100 km/h, the Rysmierbult and R501 Road’s condition is especially concerning because it increases the likelihood of serious to fatal accidents brought on by potholes and other road degradation, specifically during heavy rainfall, rather than the roads in a town would.
Even though the Rysmierbult and R501 are provincial roads, the DA in JB Marks finds it vital to address its deteriorating state as many residents of the municipality use this road daily. Our farming community, which relies on the roads as a vital route for delivering produce to Gauteng, as well as drivers like NWU students attending the Potchefstroom Campus, who use it as an alternate route to the already clogged and hazardous N12 between Gauteng and Potchefstroom, are all being impacted by these roads.
The DA will through Freddy Sonakile MPL, DA Spokesperson on Public Works and Roads, submit questions to the North West MEC of Public Works and Roads, Oageng Molapisi, inquiring how much funding has been allocated to the upkeep of the R501 Road in the current financial year, and if so, was such money spend as planned.
The DA in the Legislature will also request MEC Molapisi to set aside funds in the budget for 2023/24 to ensure that prompt action will be taken to safeguard the R501 Road during heavy rainfall.
The safety of JB Mark’s residents is one of the DA’s top priorities, and we will continue to place pressure on the provincial government until repairs take place.