Agri Eastern Cape has lodged an application in the Supreme Court requesting the Court to compel the Government to fulfill its obligations to maintain and repair the gravel roads which service the rural areas of the Province.
Agri East Cape president, Ernest Pringle, said they are also requesting the Court to oblige the government to refund the money which numerous farmers have been forced to spend in keeping various Provincial Roads passable.
"What we applying to court for is an order to compel the government to do its duty concerning our road infrastructure. It is completely unfair to motorists that they should drive along roads that are are real threat to the vehicles that they're driving in," he said.
Pringle said "this must either be halted or turned around."
"For years we have been talking for years to the Roads Department trying to negotiate our way through the problem and trying to understand their side of the problem and in turn trying to wring some sort of concessions from them to at least keep our roads passable."
Pringle, who announced that he is stepping down as president of the provincial agricultural body also delivered the main speech at Agri Eastern Cape's annual congress taking place at Mentorskraal in Jeffreys Bay.
He told the congress that the agricultural sector is still confronted by a "barrage" of legislation concerning the land issue which he said required "skill, determination and courage" to weather the storm.
Pringle said against this background the Congress will discuss political statements made regarding Land Reform and called on the Department of Land Reform to assume its responsibilities on farms let to beneficiaries in terms of "maintainence, infrastructure and sub-letting" saying these issues have a devastating impact on properties owned by government.
He said other issues on the Congress agenda are farm attacks and farm murders, Eskom and its power problems and the possibility of "Green Energy" as a solution.
Agri Eastern Cape congress underway at Mentorskraal, Jeffreys Bay.
