The violent and massive criminal vandalism being perpetrated unabatedly on SANRAL property at the unlawful Makhado Park junction along the N1 in Louis Trichardt is leaving some serious questions in its wake.

The wooden pole barrier, as well as the barbed wire fence which was erected across the dangerous informal and unlawful entrance, has been destroyed violently several times in a row after being erected and re-erected after each vandalizing event. Thousands of rands of damage has been caused in this violent and open demonstration of irresponsible and uncontrolled criminal destruction of property. Yet there has been no official reaction from the responsible authorities on the situation.

Not only the fence across the entrance, but also the important regular barrier fence between the road reserve and the adjacent municipal area, is being wilfully destroyed overnight, time after time, at the very same spot along a wide open area of almost 80 meters. The barrier fence along the N1 is a vital element in protecting the safety of both motorists and pedestrians. The poles in the approximately 25 meter long wooden pole barrier are dug from the ground and the nine-string barbed wire fence is cut to pieces over a long distance and dragged away. In the latest incident, a partially destroyed metal road sign, warning vehicles of the obstruction, along with wooden poles and barbed wire, was moved almost a hundred meters away to partially obstruct the link road between Makhado Park and the Vondeling road, in a seemingly audacious display of a total disregard for property and lives.

The contractor who erects the fencing and wooden pole barrier for the SANRAL said upon enquiry that he had reported the situation to the local police and had also given them the registration number of the vehicle driven by a person who stopped at the construction site and threatened him.

The local police, however, deny any knowledge of the incident and of the ongoing massive vandalizing spree right next to the N1.

When the Makhado Municipality was approached about the extremely dangerous situation being created by the removal of the barbed wire fence as well as the wooden post barrier and all warning road signage, the spokesperson expressed no concern about the massive vandalizing of property at the junction. The only comment by the Makhado Municipality on the entire issue was that the municipality is in a process of negotiation with SANRAL on the design and construction of an acceptable safe junction, which should be operational by May this year.

Surprisingly, the very next day after this statement was issued, the contractor commenced repairing and re-erecting the demolished obstructions once again. On Wednesday this week, there was still no sign of any effort by the municipality to safeguard the junction by means of temporary signage or point duty, after the repaired fencing was once again destroyed.

There has not been any statement condemning the wanton destruction of property and the irresponsible onslaught on the safety of motorists and pedestrians.

The unlawful junction is a popular entrance and the connecting road towards it has been partially tarred by the municipality, regardless of a clear statement at the outset from SANRAL that the junction is unlawful and unacceptable from a safety point of view.

Repeated efforts to reach SANRAL for comment were unsuccessful by the time of going to press.