Dear Editor,
It is with a great sense of disgust and embarrassment that I highlight the condition of the roads in Kwakwani. Since it is a bauxite mining community with readily available road-building material in the form of overburden, it baffles the mind of any concerned resident or visitor as to why all the roads are in such a state.
The Russian bauxite company was giving the community $100,000 per month to assist with development, and after four years there is very little our leaders (who had access to this money on the community’s behalf) have to show for it. Some of these monies could have been used to create employment by simply filling potholes before they turned into craters.
Our road conditions got worse when our leaders decided to use contractors from out of the community during 2010 to do repairs using the NDC subvention. In years gone by we got better value for our money when we employed a local labour force to fill potholes.
It is time our leaders understand that they have a moral responsibility to have dialogue with companies operating in our community to remind them of their corporate responsibilities.
The state of the roads in Kwakwani is a direct reflection of the quality of leadership the residents are getting at every level.
Yours faithfully,
Jocelyn Morian
