A group of residents from Mpheni Block A3 in the Elim area embarked on a project to clear out some rocks, trees and solid gravel mounds in order to open up a road which will then connect the area to the main road. The men have been working on the project since March this year and now the road, named Caribbean Street, has finally been opened.

Community members say they have been without a road since the first democratic elections were held in 1994. According to a long-standing member of the ward committee, Ms Elizabeth Mushapo, numerous requests and proposals for a road were submitted to the Makhado Municipality throughout the years. The municipal only kept on making fruitless promises, she said. “Cllr Masuka promised to forward our proposal for a bridge to the Makhado Municipality,” said Mushapo.

The local men, young and old, grouped themselves together towards the end of March this year and tackled the project on their own. Now a road of approximately 200 metres long has been opened where there used to be rocks and bushes. The only difficulty which the project members seem to be facing, however, is that they want a bridge to be erected in the area, where large amounts of water pass during times of rain.

According to residents, this place used to be a crime hotspot before the bushes were cleared out. Pupils also found it hard to get to schools during the rainy season. Likewise, the struggle to reach old-age grant collection points on time, since they need people to help them walk up the steep footpath.

“We still need to take our sick on wheelbarrows to the main road or to the other side of the village when we call an  ambulance for help, because there's no road at all,” says project member Mr Azwindini Ratombo. “Even when there are funerals, our people need to make plans for a hearse to reach the deceased's home. During certain times, it's impossible,” he said.

One of the co-ordinators, Mr Peter Rasithu, said that they had tried their best to construct the road. “All we need is the material to build the bridge,” he said. “I mean a real bridge, not a makeshift structure. Even if the municipality doesn't want to hire people to build a bridge, we'll make a bridge, provided they give us the material. We'll work,” he said.

"These men never go home for lunch. They put money together for a bag of mealie mealie, meat and cabbages to prepare food by the roadside while they work. If we release ourselves to go to eat at home, some of us might not come back,” added one worker.

Ward 15 councillor Mr Sipho Masuka said that he had received a proposal for a bridge to be constructed. “The member of the ward committee, Elizabeth Mushapo, consulted with me on the issue of the road or bridge,” he said on Monday. “All I can say is that the mayor has just announced the 2012/2013 annual budget. I can make a solid promise that Block A3 will get a bridge, along with other sections in our area, as part of road maintenance,” he said.