Residents spend R400,000 repairing more than 1,000 potholes on R330

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11-11-2026
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NovaNews
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Residents have spent about R400,000 repairing more than 1,000 potholes on the R330 between Humansdorp and Cape St Francis. They warn the road remains dangerous ahead of the December holiday season.

Community activist Trevor Wright has led the repair campaign with Barry Buchman and Craig Kilfoil since March. He said new potholes keep appearing despite months of community-funded repairs.

“By the December rush the road situation will again be dangerous. More potholes equals a greater risk of accidents. Drivers travel too fast on that road,” Wright said.

Only road link to Greater St Francis

The R330 is the only road link between the Greater St Francis area and Humansdorp. Wright identified the section from the dairy farm through the dip as particularly hazardous. Motorists have reported near-misses and damage to tyres and rims.

“We decided that we can’t wait for the authorities to act. We do it to make it safe and to save business in the town,” Wright said.

Campaign began with orange flags in March

The campaign started in March when Wright placed orange flags at 165 potholes to warn motorists. Residents later appointed a contractor to carry out repairs, while Buchman coordinated fundraising.

The community had raised R264,286 by May. Further contributions followed after floods that month created more than 200 new potholes. Donations from residents and local property associations brought the total to about R400,000.

September repairs fill 446 potholes

In September, residents and a provincial roads team repaired 446 potholes. However, Wright said new ones continued to develop, particularly along the section near the dairy farm.

Provincial rehabilitation tender remains outstanding

The R330 is a provincial road maintained by the Eastern Cape Department of Transport, not Kouga Municipality.

A tender for the road’s rehabilitation, SCMU10-25/26-0022, closed in April. Community organisations reported that bids exceeded R200 million, but the department has yet to appoint a contractor.

Wright said he had received no update on the tender and did not expect rehabilitation work to begin before December.

He questioned whether the tender would be awarded or readvertised, warning that either outcome could cause further delays.

“Ectransport must tell the public what is the holdup with the award. Will it be awarded, if so, when?” he said.

Kouga mayor declares intergovernmental dispute

The road’s condition has prompted an intergovernmental dispute between Kouga Municipality and the provincial government.

In June, Kouga Executive Mayor Hattingh Bornman declared a dispute with Eastern Cape Transport MEC Xolile Nqatha over the province’s failure to maintain its road network.

Wright said residents had received little information about the dispute’s progress.

“The mayor declared the dispute, he has been quiet about the process. He stated that he would be going the legal route, but he is playing it close to his chest,” he said.

Bornman previously said residents “cannot continue to wait while vital infrastructure continues to deteriorate.”

Wright called on the mayor to update residents on the steps taken to resolve the dispute.

Municipality confirms engagements with province

Kouga Municipality said responsibility for maintaining and rehabilitating the R330 rested with the Eastern Cape Department of Transport.

Municipal spokesperson Monique Basson said the municipality could not provide authoritative information on the department’s infrastructure, rehabilitation tender, procurement processes or maintenance plans.

Basson confirmed that the municipality was engaging with the department through established intergovernmental relations processes to address outstanding matters relating to provincial road infrastructure.

“With regard to roads falling under the municipality’s jurisdiction, KLM has maintenance and repair measures in place to address identified road defects, including potholes,” she said.

She said the municipality issued weekly public communications outlining planned and ongoing road maintenance activities. Basson stressed that the municipality could not make commitments regarding maintenance on the provincial road network.

The municipality has assisted the community by providing traffic officers and carrying out occasional repairs, Wright said.

The Eastern Cape Department of Transport had not responded to questions about the rehabilitation tender, its maintenance programme and the road’s condition at the time of going to print