Megan Bedingham, a resident from the Drakensberg, recently highlighted the continuous decay on tourism routes, including the R74. The R74 links the Free State to KwaZulu-Natal along Oliviershoek Pass and is used not only by business owners but also for the movement of supplies and children who commute to schools in Harrismith and Bethlehem.
“This route is always busy. Our leaders are putting the lives of many motorists and passengers in grave danger,” said Bedingham, who has also pleaded to the Minister of Transport, SANRAL, MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs. Bedingham’s complaint is just one of many as residents, motorists, local tourism-owned businesses and Councillor Thys J van Rensburg have rallied up petitions and written letters demanding that leaders assist with roads in the Drakensberg area. “I love South Africa and have recently had the privilege of traveling through the country a little. It’s a huge privilege that so many South Africans don’t get to enjoy. The countryside along the Drakensberg is gorgeous and the small towns are interesting but alas this time the roads made the trip almost impossible. It was safer to drive next to the road in some places.”
Bedingham, who is part of the tourism sector, said that her businesses rely on the road as people travel on these dangerous roads. “We rely on a good network of roads for our business to remain a choice destination. Recently we have had exceptional rains but I don’t believe we can blame this on the failing state of the R74 or any of the smaller roads that link resorts and activities in the valleys.” Due to recent rainfall, several rockfalls were reported along the Oliviershoek Pass and Bedingham told The Ladysmith Herald that the Department of Transport, the Department for Economic Development and Tourism, and local municipalities are all aware and have known about this calamity for more than a year and yet, to date, the action has been “gravely inadequate”. Bedingham further explained that enormous pantechnicons use this route when the N3 closes. “When the N3 is closed, motor vehicles and heavy-duty trucks use the pass and it is happening more and more often.” Bedingham said that a huge sinkhole, which is covering half of the road’s surface, is on the extremely tight bed, with little warning, causing trucks to veer into oncoming traffic to avoid crashing into the hole, or even down the pass. “It is an accident waiting to happen and it will cost lives because our current leaders are not interested,” she concluded.
