BY THEMBA ZWANE
KUPHELENI— The Ministry of Public Works and Transport has responded swiftly to the needs of Kupheleni residents by deploying heavy machinery to restore a road severely damaged by continuous rainfall, bringing relief to a community whose daily activities had been disrupted.
Following weeks of persistent rain, a key access road near a mountain in Kupheleni suffered extensive damage, making it difficult for residents to travel and preventing schoolchildren from reaching schools located at the foot of the mountain.
In response, the Ministry provided a bulldozer that is now working daily to rehabilitate the damaged section of the road. The intervention has been welcomed by the community, particularly parents whose children rely on the route to attend school.
Motshane Member of Parliament Wilton Nkambule said he approached the Ministry after witnessing the extent of the damage and learning that pupils were unable to attend school due to the poor state of the road.
“The road was in such a depleted condition that learners and other road users were forced to seek alternative routes,” said Nkambule. “These routes required travelling long distances around the mountain just to reach school or workplaces.”
Speaking during the official handover of contractor Ant Group at Phalamende community in Mpolonjeni and KaManyisa community within Kupheleni Chiefdom, Nkambule revealed that government machinery was already on site addressing the problem.
“We had to start afresh with the construction of the road along the mountain after it was severely damaged by the ongoing rainfall. This followed my request for government assistance,” he said.
The MP expressed appreciation for the Ministry’s intervention, noting that the road rehabilitation would restore access and make it possible for children to return to school safely.
“We are pleased with the work that government is doing here. It will now be easier to transport children to school and for residents to move freely within the area,” Nkambule added.
Community members responded with praise for the MP’s leadership and commitment, singing songs of appreciation and pledging full support for ongoing and future development initiatives within the constituency.
Some residents went as far as calling for the re-election of Nkambule in the next national general elections, citing his responsiveness and dedication to addressing community challenges. Others extended their calls for continuity in leadership to include Inkhundla leaders such as the Bucopho and Indvuna yeNkhundla.
The intervention by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport has not only restored hope to Kupheleni residents but also demonstrated the importance of collaboration between government and community leadership in responding to climate-related infrastructure challenges.
