Several motorists found themselves stranded in the rain and mud on Monday morning after falling victim to a massive ditch across the Thohoyandou Road just outside Louis Trichardt. The ditch caused numerous tyre blow-outs and irreparable damage to expensive mags and wheel rims.

The Zoutpansberger found a large group of irate motorists just past the ditch, hastily repairing flat tyres to get back on the road again. Some were lucky only to lose one tyre, while others were less fortunate, losing two or more. Among the stranded motorists were businessmen and women in luxury cars, including a Mercedes S350 and a new Jeep Compass, which lost two tyres and sustained damage to its suspension. There were also reports that, apart from Monday’s “fatalities”, the ditch also brought several other unsuspecting motorists to a standstill on Sunday.

There were no warning signs or officials warning motorists of the impending danger. The number of vehicles having to pull over because of flat tyres grew by the minute as one by one they drove through the ditch with a loud thump. It was not long until somebody remarked: “This is unacceptable. Where are the warning signs or traffic department? Somebody is going to pay for this!” The municipal traffic department eventually pitched. One official said that they were unaware of the problem. This was, however, only as a senior official of the provincial Department of Roads and Transport also had the misfortune of encountering the ditch. He was quick to make a few phone calls.

So, who’s to blame for the damage caused to vehicles because of the ditch? Is it the municipality, the person who dug the ditch or the Department of Roads and Transport?

It was determined that the ditch was dug by a construction company, BEM Construction, appointed by the Makhado Municipality. They were appointed with regard to the installation of the new water supply pipeline to town. The cut-out in the road was made over the weekend where the pipeline crosses underneath the road surface.

The Zoutpansberger managed to track down the contractor, Mr Teddy Seale. He confirmed that they had dug the ditch on Saturday to enable them to continue installing the pipeline. Afterwards, Seale said, they compacted the ditch in accordance with acceptable standards up to surface level. The problem began, however, when it started raining. The soil in the ditch became waterlogged and quickly eroded as a result of being washed away and the constant pounding of vehicles driving over it. Before long, there was a massive ditch. Seale said they immediately attended to the problem after being notified about it on Monday morning.

Asked why there had been no warning signs posted at the ditch, Seale said that warning signs had been placed at the ditch, but that somebody had stolen the signs. He did not, however, shy away from responsibility.

“From what I know, all the people affected on Monday took my details. I told them to fix their cars and bring the invoices to us,” Seale said. By Wednesday, Seale said, he had received calls from eight people already.