Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr JP de Villiers and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Joseph Mbele. See attached pictures here, here and here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Municipal Manager of Ngwathe Local Municipality to request urgent intervention, including the provision of safe pedestrian infrastructure, proper sidewalks, and secure crossing points in Parys, Tumahole, and Schonkenville.
During an oversight visit on 18 March 2026, in rainy conditions, I witnessed firsthand the unacceptable reality that residents and learners face daily when trying to get to school and work.
A rural footpath running from Parys Primary School, past the Wetlands Park, and beyond the electrical substation towards Thomson Road is used daily by learners walking to and from school. This path has no formal surface, no drainage, and no safe crossing infrastructure.
During a visit in the rain, I saw the full extent of what these children must navigate, waterlogged, muddy stretches and a small stream crossing where the only way across is a few loose bricks. One wrong step and a child can get seriously injured. A solution as simple as a small wooden bridge over the stream or a short paved pathway would make all the difference.
A video and photograph that surfaced between the Mandela and Lusaka sections in Tumahole have raised equally deep concern. The footage shows a man standing on what appears to be a broken concrete pipe, physically picking up and carrying children across dangerous floodwater so they can get to Ntshwephepa Primary School.
Schoolchildren in uniform, carrying their bags, were left completely at the mercy of floodwater with no safe crossing in sight. This is not a once-off event. This is the daily reality for the families of Tumahole every time it rains, and the fact that the community must rely on a stranger’s goodwill to get their children to school safely speaks volumes. The DA commends the community members who step up to assist where the municipality has failed, but it is a disgrace that their intervention is necessary in the first place.
During my oversight of navigating the different areas, I also noted the dire situation for residents who are forced to walk directly in the road because there are simply no sidewalks. Roads are flooded, riddled with potholes, and offer no separation between vehicles and pedestrians.
Sidewalks may seem like a small thing, but they serve a vital role in protecting both pedestrians and motorists. Without them, residents are forced into the road, and the risk of serious injury or death increases every single day.
The Ngwathe Local Municipality has a constitutional mandate under Section 152(1)(d) to promote a safe and healthy environment for its residents. What I witnessed today, and what the people of Tumahole captured on camera, is a direct failure to uphold that mandate. Children should not have to risk their lives to get an education. Pedestrians should not have to share the road with vehicles because no one bothered to build a sidewalk.
This is the legacy of decades of ANC-led governance in Ngwathe, a municipality that has consistently failed to deliver even the most basic infrastructure while presiding over decay, neglect, and the mismanagement of public funds.
While the ANC has had decades to deliver they have failed at every turn, the DA will continue to conduct oversight, hold the municipality accountable, and fight for the residents of Ngwathe.