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NO DRINKING (the water) AND DRIVING

8 November 2022 · Platinum Bushvelder

Northam – Co-owner of Northam Toyota, Butch Anly reached out to Platinum Bushvelder to shed some light on the terrible state of Northam’s roads.

Anly says that Northam Toyota regularly reach into their own pockets to maintain a 300m stretch of Dwars Street so that they and their customers can gain access to their business.

But Northam Toyota can’t maintain all the roads in the area where they operate. The photo in which a panel van is ‘swimming’ from one side of the ‘pond’ to the next – is just one example of Northam’s roads.

Anly says that he has tried on several occasions to get the Thabazimbi Local Municipality (TLM) to fix the roads in Northam, “The only answer I get is that the matter ‘has been reported’. What are we to do?”

He added that their business would have suffered a financial loss had Northam Toyota not taken it upon themselves to help fix the roads from time to time. “For how long will TLM continue to neglect the Northam community?”

Anly asked, calling on the municipality to fix the roads, “You only need to take a look around to see that Northam hasn’t been a priority for the municipality for a long time.”

Platinum Bushvelder also spoke to David Ntoagae, who is busy opening a mortuary. He is also disappointed about TLM’s lack of action.

Ntoagae said that the state of the roads will affect the integrity of his business as clients will struggle to get to the mortuary. “The municipality must try harder,” he added.

“TLM, we need you to fix our roads!” Photo: Dwars Street, Northam on 1 November 2022. There is still visible evidence on some stretches of Dwars Street, that it used to be a tar road.

Butch Anly in front of Northam Toyota. This modern and neat dealership is in stark contrast with the deplorable state of Northam’s roads.

A panel van ‘swimming’ from one side of the ‘pond’ to the next.

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