Lebowakgomo in Limpopo is the scene of another collective brain fade that has left an electricity pole stuck in the middle of a newly constructed road.
Facebook user Mondycard Nduna Edmond Mbetse shared photos of the unreal scene on the “Speak Out Phalaborwa” Facebook page on Thursday.
The pole is seen jutting out of one lane of the tarred road, with the constructor even neatly tarring the immediate area surrounding it.
Mbetse wondered if it was all “a joke or what.” He added, “While we appreciate the decision by Lepelle-Nkumpi Local Municipality to construct a tarred road connecting Lebowakgomo Zone Q to R518 and the good work done by contractor PJMJ including Consulting Engineers Bawelile…
“…we are just surprised as to what is this electricity pole doing in the middle of the road.”
‘Situation not bad’
To add to the hilarity (or despair), the municipality’s spokesperson Khali Maphoso told Sowetan that the situation was “not that bad because the road is not officially opened.”
He said the municipality has contacted Eskom and a process to remove the pole “is underway,” adding that the road will be launched within two months.
However, he reportedly couldn’t say why the road was tarred with the pole already there.
Sowetan reports that the municipality paid the consulting engineer R2.1 million to design the road. The construction company got R8.4 million.
Similar ‘mishap’ in Mpumalanga
A similar “mishap” took place in Mpumalanga’s Bushbuckridge Local Municipality and the photos went viral in July.
Earlier in October, the municipality announced on social media that the pole had finally been removed, adding, “We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused by this.”
It blamed traditional councils and “in particular our indunas” for not following town planning regulations when establishing new settlements.
The municipality’s consulting engineer reportedly gave a contractor the green light to pave the street despite the pole being there.