WHEN you enter Ermelo, you are greeted by streets full of potholes and the stench of sewage spills.
Residents said piles of rubbish affect their businesses and electricity meter boxes which are left open put people in danger.
The gatvol locals have named the place the town of wrong turns and want the municipality to act.
Businessman Lucas Dlomo (49) said it is unacceptable and the municipality is dragging its feet. “This is affecting me as a businessman. No tourist will visit a town in this condition.
“We pay rates but rubbish is not being collected and the sewage is causing a very bad smell. There is rubbish on every corner of this town. We have lodged many complaints with the municipality but they fell on deaf ears.”
Pakistani businessman Sayem Ali (32) told Daily Sun when he arrived in town a few years ago, it was in a good state. “We have raised our concerns but no one hears us. If it isn’t taken care of, I will go somewhere else.”
Hawker Lucia Mkhondo (36) said she no longer is proud of the town.
“You are greeted by a bad smell and potholes make driving difficult.”
Msukaligwe municipal spokesman Mandla Zwane said they have budgeted R4?million for 2018 to repair all the tar roads in the area.
He said the Gert Sibande Municipality has budgeted R1 million to patch potholes. “Priorities change due to the rainy season and coal trucks passing through town damage roads.”
About the uncollected rubbish, he said illegal dumping sites are mushrooming in open spaces and people don’t take out dustbins according to the refuse removal schedule.
“Sewage spills are caused by aging infrastructure, population growth, foreign objects in sewers or nearby mining activities damaging the system. We have requested quotes to develop a sanitation services master plan.”