Bathurst village roads leading us down the wrong path

I WAS not at all surprised to see a response to my letter of last week but not one that actually, in so many words, praises the condition of the dirt roads in Bathurst village.

I practically fell off my stool chuckling in mirth.

I question what planet does Muzi Budaza live on? From what he writes, I assume he must be fortunate enough to own a top-of-the-range 4x4 and therefore glides over the deep holes, deep rutted areas and blithely plunges into the deep muddy pools which surround the areas where the Bathurst stream crosses the dirt roads.

As I have previously mentioned, the majority of the village roads are in an appalling state. Broken springs, broken shock absorbers, broken tie rod ends and worn out rubbers. Rims get damaged and the wheel alignment all shot to hell.

One’s average family-type vehicle starts to rattle like a stone in a tin can. Charming I don’t think, and all quite unnecessarily forced upon us by, and I repeat again, a corrupt and basically uncaring and useless municipality. What do we pay expensive high, most unaffordable rates, for Muzi? For the municipality to put in their pockets? That can’t be right.

When did you last visit the township, Muzi? Let me take you on a tour in order to show you all the paved roads within the townships of Nolukhanyo and Freestone. It may open your eyes. I can also drive you into the township on paved roads. Name one road in Bathurst village which has been paved? Bet you can’t, and Pussy Foot Lane doesn’t count, being that it just leads directly to the township.

You are quite right in saying that Bathurst is a rural town (village actually) and that one would expect to have marginally poorer condition roads in a village. However this is no excuse for practically the total absence of even rudimentary maintenance on the village roads. I do not know where you live, but along my road depending on the season, we either have our houses covered in dust by 4x4s belting past or alternatively, following heavy rains, so much deep mud and runoffs and deep gullies.

You know, Muzi, not all that long ago I could not even leave my house to go and do some essential shopping because there was a sinkhole right outside my gate.