Grids on dirt roads in Eastern Cape are increasingly resembling the deadly pits the ancient San used to trap large animals.
Like many others that have fallen into dangerous disrepair, the grid in the picture has no warning signs even though it’s on a public road. In fact, everything looks normal until you get within a few metres of it – and when it could be too late for an unsuspecting motorist to brake.
Yet neither the police nor the provincial Department of Roads and Public Works, which is responsible for maintaining these grids, seem to see a problem. When Farmer’s Weekly reported another damaged grid to the local police a few years ago, the officer merely suggested our reporter should use the gate.
That grid was eventually repaired after threats to send photos of it to the newspapers. At the time of going to print, the pictured grid still hadn’t been repaired. – Words and photo by Roelof Bezuidenhout
