MAGAKALA
A year after the Magakala access road in Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality was completed, the road has now been washed away.
Concerns are growing among residents after damages started appearing on this newly tarred access road. Communities rely on this road to access schools, clinic and many more facilities.
On May 29, 2025, FTLM’s mayor Eddie Maila visited the project for inspection, he indicated the project was 100% complete.
Speaking during the visit, Maila commended the community for working with the municipality and the contractors to ensure that the project is implemented without major hindrances.
A year after the ‘high fives and celebratory gestures’, the road is no more. Most parts of the road are now damaged, including the road signs.
Locals blamed the FTLM’s, poor workmanship and lack of monitoring and oversight from the municipality. “There is no one who vandalized the road, it’s just poor workmanship at its best. The road was just used to chow the taxpayer’s money. How can a tar road last for less than a year,”? the residents questioned.
The road, situated in Ward 39, has developed visible cracks, with sections of the surface breaking apart and loose stones and soil exposed.
The damage has left residents worried and questioning the quality and durability of the project.
Some residents expressed disappointment, saying it was concerning to see a road that had only recently been completed already showing signs of deterioration.
“How can a road that was just finished, look like this? What will happen when the rainy season gets worse?” one concerned resident asked.
Another resident questioned whether the road had been properly constructed to withstand heavy rainfall.
“We welcomed this project because we needed a good road, but seeing it damaged so soon is worrying. Someone needs to come and explain what happened, especially the mayor and the municipal manager, they gave it a green light” the resident said.
Residents are now calling on the relevant authorities and contractor to urgently inspect the damaged section and carry out repairs before the problem worsens.
The early deterioration has also sparked renewed concerns about the workmanship and construction standards of the project, with residents saying they want value for the money spent on the road.
This publication once again contacted FTLM’s communications manager Mahlako Komane for a comment on the road conditions. Komane was yet to respond at the time of going to press.