Days of residents walking long distance carrying coffins on their shoulders to the grave yards due to the inaccessible roads are over.

The Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality has started constructing access roads in different wards to enable residents to access taxies and other forms of transport at their doorsteps.

Construction started two weeks ago in ward 23 and 25 but the community is already impressed with the progress made.

“We are very happy that ambulances have started coming in to collect patients at our homes ,  we would no longer walk long distances carrying our patients to the main roads,” said Phamong resident, Mathapelo Molefi, during the inspection tour by executive mayor, Sarah Moleleki.

Molefi said she was happy that Moleleki is hands on when it comes to service delivery.

“We are happy and already benefitting from this road which is still on its gravel state. We used to walk a distance of 100 meters from the main road carrying a coffin on our shoulders. But two weeks ago it was like a dream come true when we saw caterpillars entering our area creating access roads,” added Molefi.

Moleleki took a tour to inspect progress made in the different projects in the company of her members of mayoral committee, Teboho Nhlapho, Dipuo Mboso, Moeketsi Lebesa and Butana Mokoena.

Another resident Maseke Mphafodi added: “We also used to carry our furniture in our hands from the main road which is three kilometres from here. Sometimes our furniture would even be damaged on our way home. “

Mphafodi said the access the roads will make it easier for businesses such as shops to be opened in the area.

Her sentiments were echoed by fellow residents, Elizabeth Lenka, who told Moleleki that they used to struggle to take their deceased family members to graveyard because there was no bridge and they had to carry a coffin on their shoulders.

Moleleki said the municipality is going to build the access roads in all others township’s with its jurisdiction.

“We are doing all we could to divide our funds to develop different areas within our municipality. In Phuthaditjhaba, which is in the urban area of QwaQwa, we have started paving the roads to bring it to the standard of other towns.”

The municipality is also planning to construct new access roads at Intabazwe location in Harrismith.