Lentswe, Klerksdorp - A nurse who was left paralysed after her vehicle hit a pothole in the NW, has been awarded R26.6 million in damages from the state.
The High Court granted the claim against the Department of Public Works and Roads in the North West earlier this year. In response, the DA’s Freddy Sonakile said that claims such as this are a direct result of the department’s failure to maintain the province’s road infrastructure.
“This single claim, which now takes up a significant portion of the department’s budget, highlights the ongoing neglect of road maintenance and not only puts lives at risk, but also exposes the department and ultimately taxpayers to potentially hundreds of millions of rands in legal claims.”
The court found the department fully liable for the injuries sustained by the unidentified nurse in the accident on November 3, 2014. She hit a pothole somewhere in the North West and lost control of her vehicle before it rolled. It is not clear where the accident occurred.
She is now wheelchair-bound and completely dependent on her daughter.
She worked as a nurse for 25 years and was declared medically unfit for work in 2016.
According to Sonakile, the department must explain how they are funding the claim within the current budget. “We also want a list and value of pending and potential legal claims as a result of road-related damage. The DA will continue to pursue this matter in the Legislature to ensure full transparency and accountability.
Neglect of public infrastructure must no longer go unchallenged, neither in our courts nor in our communities.’’
