Bad roads bring bad times to the ‘Berg…

Tourism, businesses, jobs, and livelihoods are under threat in the Drakensberg region where bad roads and unrepaired infrastructure have made travel perilous. In this interview with BizNews, Megan Bedingham of the Cavern, a popular ‘Berg resort, says occupancies in December last year (2023) in the Midlands and the Drakensberg area dropped to 56%. She identifies the dire state of infrastructure as the “greatest threat”, with more and more potholes, washed out culverts and subsided roads. She details the intensive lobbying to government for help, and describes how the community has to do the smaller jobs themselves while the Department of Transport doesn’t seem to have the capacity to roll out all the jobs that they have promised to do.