The resident said his car’s oil pump of his Audi A4 was totally damaged after he drove through a pothole which was filled with some sand but not marked or barricaded.
A ROODEPAN resident, Jacques Visagie indicated that he is “sick and tired” of the state of the roads in Kimberley after he suffered severe damage to his car after he drove through a pothole near the Northern Cape Office of the Premier.
Visagie said his car’s oil pump of his Audi A4 was totally damaged after he drove through a pothole which was filled with some sand but not marked or barricaded.
“I work in Petrusburg and was on my way leaving Kimberley to get to work. It was about 6:20am and it was still dark at that time because it is winter time. I was busy driving and when I noticed the pothole I tried to stop in order to avoid it. However, at that stage it was too late. As I got out to inspect the damage, I saw that it was a hole that was filled with sand. The oil was flowing from under the car and I was unable to drive the car again. The oil pump was broken to pieces and the car’s grill fell off. Someone came and said that municipality workers were fixing a leaking pipe at that spot. There was however no marking or a barricade to show that work was being done at that spot of the road. There was only a small piece of red and white tape inside the hole,” said Visagie.
He said he had to call someone to come and tow him away.
“I had to call my cousin to come and tow my car away as I was not able to drive it. The car needs to be assessed to determine what other damage was caused to the engine. I was unable to get to work and had to miss work due to this,” he said.
He said that besides missing out on work and being immobile, he now has unbudgeted expenses.
“I am now stuck with no vehicle. I use my car for work as I need it to travel to work. However, I now have to wait and pay to get the car fixed. In order to get the car fixed, I need to get quotations for mechanics, but it is challenging to go around with no transport. I am now left to run around, yet those responsible for this just continue with their lives. It is so disappointing that both motorists and other road users are forced to make use of such terrible roads in the city on a daily basis. It appears that there is a trend in municipal workers leaving their work undone or holes open once they have worked on a site. Somebody needs to hold such individuals responsible,” he said.
Municipality spokesperson, Thoko Riet said the municipality regretted the incident and urged the complainant to approach their claims office.
“We regret the incident and it is unfortunate that the complainant endured what he did. We have a team that works with claims. The complainant can approach our office to collect a claims form which outlines which documents will be required when submitting a claim. When submitting a claim form, it must be accompanied by a statement which states the exact place and time of the incident, at least three quotations of damage, photos of the incident, photos of the damages, a copy of the identity document of the complainant, a copy of the complainant’s drivers licence and the registration certificate. Our claims office will explain the process to the complainant. We further want to urge motorists to drive with caution throughout the city,” said Riet.
