Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) members have welcomed the revamping of the roads in the community by the City of Cape, saying the move will improve their living standard.
According to KDF, the maintenance of the roads is long overdue.
KDF deputy chair Thandi Msutu said the revamping of the roads will bring change in Khayelitsha as a whole.
“The maintenance of the roads is good for the community and for business people as well. It will improve the standard of the area. And it is also good for the motorists,” she said.
However, she urged the City to also focus on the underground infrastructure.
“In Khayelitsha we have a problem with the bursting of drains. We need the City to change the underground infrastructure because it is clear that it doesn’t cope with the population that is in Khayelitsha,”she said, adding that in every street there is a drain spillage.
Msutu also appealed to the community to stop vandalising the roads during protests.
“The community needs to take care of their infrastructure and stop burning tyres on the road when they are protesting.
“If they have a problem with the City they must go straight to municipal offices and do whatever they want to do there instead of vandalising our streets,” said Msutu.
The City’s Mayco member for urban mobility Rob Quintas said the work is part of routine maintenance to prolong the longevity of the road network in Khayelitsha and Ilitha Park. He said in Ilitha Park the work will be done on Ngcwalazi Drive and the intersection of Mew Way and Steve Biko Road.
“In Site B, the work will be done in Sulani Drive and Xhala Crescent.Included in this project is the milling of the pavement to a depth of 90 mm and 40 mm and reinstating it with a base layer of 50 mm BTB in selected areas. A 40 mm asphalt wearing course for the selected areas of streets and the painting of the affected areas including the side stops,” said Quintas.
He said they are on a mission to make Cape Town’s roads safe and durable one road at a time.
“Roads are the arteries that carry our people to destinations including work opportunities, medical centres and recreational facilities. We want to optimise their efficiency and ensure our residents keep on moving.