South Africans decry poor state of roads

Residents of South Africa’s Gauteng Province are decrying on the poor state of the roads despite accounting for the seventh biggest GDP in the Southern African country.

 It is estimated that the province has well over twenty-one thousand potholes according to the state.

Gauteng, also known as South Africa's national flower is peppered across most of the bi-ways of the country. 

Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, people have started taking things into their own hands. Through some self initiatives, people and resident associations are seemingly running parallel government services. 

"The work we are doing has nothing to do with elections- it's has everything to do with the movements of freight and goods in the province, in a very cost-effective manner," Jacob Mmambolo, a representative in charge of roads of infrastructure said.

The launch of Smart Mobility Weekends has improved road services. The Municipal Workers Union is at loggerheads with local governments over salary increases. 

The threat of a strike action also threatens the department's self-imposed six months deadline to deal with all road developments.

"The work we are going to improve our road network, preserve it in the best condition- will not, is not and may not be affected and definitely sure will not be negatively impacted upon by the threat or a strike that has been announced," Jacob Mmambolo, a representative in charge of roads of infrastructure said.

Road taxes have been rising while the services remain sluggish.