Making potholes into mountains

** This thread discusses: Making potholes into mountains **

A date has now been set for the trial between the Cathedral Peak Hotel and the KZN Transport Department: February 14-18.

There is also a dispute between the hotel and the board of KZN Wildlife. The latter are responsible for maintaining the road leading up to the hotel, which falls within the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park. On April 20, Acting High Court Judge Barry Skinner granted an order compelling them to comply with it's obligations.

Since then the hotel has called for the CEO to be held in contempt of court for not complying to the order. The CEO, Bandile Mkhize, says the board has embarked on a process to ensure compliance, but this cannot be completed in a short time as various procedures have to be followed and the board has to comply with the provisions of the Public Finance Act and Treasury regulations. He said funding has to be sourced from provincial treasury, which on May 25 had approved funding in an amount of R600 000.

Please see this article in The Witness for more details

As for the gigantic pothole on Oliviershoek Pass, I saw it a number of times still, at times with visible signs that cars had been damaged by it. It has now been somewhat repaired. The state of this road still remains unacceptable.

Be aware that the Oliviershoek Pass road currently has major road works. Traffic is restricted to one lane, with the direction being alternated. The potholes are very severe currently. I bent two rims on that road on December 15th. The truck driver that took my car back to Harrismith said that it was the third car he had to fetch from that road that evening! With all the rain the road is even more hazardous. Will be nice once the extremely-long-overdue upgrade is complete.

An update published in The Witness on the case between the Cathedral Peak Hotel and the board of KZN Wildlife:

Acting Judge Yvonne Gcaba granted an order consented to by both parties on Friday in terms of which the KZN Conservation Board was ordered to ensure that sufficient funding and “appropriate budgetary steps” are taken to ensure that the road in question is properly “repaired, maintained and upgraded” within three years from May 1.

It was also ordered to continue to maintain, repair and upgrade the road.

The board must also ensure that all potholes are repaired within two weeks of their being reported and general repairs are to be done within a month of being reported.

The order stipulates that if any part of the budget set aside for the road in any one year is not used, the amount is to be carried over and added to that of the ensuing year so as to speed up the completion of the roadwork and provide an “ongoing fund” for the road.

Another part of the order states that the parties are to “co-operate with one another in order to bring about and maintain a road of a proper standard for their mutual use and benefit as well as that of their respective patrons”.

The KZN Nature Conservation Board was ordered to pay the hotel’s legal costs, amounting to over R300 000.

The dispute between the board and the William van der Riet Family Trust — which owns the Cathedral Peak hotel — has been going on in the high court since 2008.

Link to article

Has anyone travelled on the R74 between Harrismith and Bergville very recently? My friend just heard a warning on the radio that conditions on this road are currently dangerous because of the state of the road and the roadworks. We intend driving on that road this coming Friday.

I travelled this road last in March this year, the roadworks before the pass were progressing very slowly. Still only single-lane traffic in alternating directions, on a bumpy mixture of dirt and tar. I also noticed that the traffic control points have no radio contact with each other! I tend to drive very slowly on this section now because I don't want to get towed back to Harrismith a second time! Because of this they evidently forget that I am still on road and let opposing traffic through a section while I am still in it. Of course I get dirty looks and zero consideration by the drivers in the oncoming cars.

Please everyone, let us take it easy on this road. Drive safely and be patient and considerate!