Huge cost of shoddy roads

As we approach the December and January peak holiday season, on the east coast one must ponder what the effect of the shocking state of the roads leading to resorts will have on traffic.

I am a daily commuter to East London and am appalled by the condition of the roads.

It will not only be businesses, hotels, bed and breakfast establishments, holiday resorts and families expecting visitors that will be affected.

The lack of visitors and holiday homeowners will contribute to the already soaring unemployment figures in the Eastern Cape, which are the highest nationally as it is.

Many local people are provided with temporary employment to sustain and feed their families during the festive eason.

The sudden frenzied cosmetic grass cutting and edge clearing activity on the sides of the N2 heading into East London is a clear indication the authorities responsible for road maintenance seemingly have their priorities all wrong.

Travelling along Schafli Road heading for the resorts, one plays a game of dodgems to avoid the huge potholes and oncoming traffic, putting lives at risk.

The verges of the road are falling apart due to lack of maintenance and keeping weeds off the edge.

They need building up to prevent further damage to the tarred surface, which is receding daily.

A real community effort is to be seen in Chintsa East, where the ratepayers association has undertaken to repair potholes and clear up the verges in and about the village.

A generous effort from a local stalwart keeps the edges approaching Chintsa East mowed with a bushcutter, all at their own and ratepayers’ expense.

Come on Sanral, roads departments and local authorities. Do the right thing.

Use your resources to make lives better for all on the east coast.

— Taki Kyriacos, Chintsa East

Tuesday October 25 was Zimbabwe anti-sanctions day.

Zimbabwe and its friends worldwide used the day to call for the removal of sanctions imposed by western countries.

As much as I agree that the sanctions must be removed, I also believe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his Zanu-PF party are causing more suffering for Zimbabwe’s citizens.

Bad governance, selective justice and the politicised judiciary are damaging the country.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, police, army and even correctional services are also run as if they are an extension of the ruling party. There is no respect for human rights in Zimbabwe.

Natural resources such as precious minerals are smuggled out of the country and the citizens are not benefiting from them.

There is no food security and neither is there a stable currency in Zimbabwe.

Though SADC countries are helping Zimbabwe by calling for the removal of sanctions, they must at the same time call for Mnangagwa to leave office.

Bad governance and sanctions have created the problem of illegal migrants for neighbouring countries, particularly SA as many of them have found their home country uninhabitable.

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Remove sanctions, and Mnangagwa, to save Zimbabwe