Taxpayers will have to fork out R1.7 million due to a pothole which was not repaired on a provincial road in Limpopo.
This was after the province’s Department of Roads and Transport have agreed in the Pretoria High Court to settle a damages claim instituted by a man from Burgersfort.
Hermanus Maré, 24, was a passenger on the back of a bakkie travelling on a provincial road in Burgersfort in April 2008.
The vehicle hit a huge pothole and overturned. Maré suffered serious fractures to his left leg.
He was in hospital for about three months and walked on crutches for about two years.
A steel plate and pins were inserted into the leg, but the wound turned septic and the plate had to be removed.
Maré, who did manual labour at a mine, is unable to return to his occupation as he can no longer do heavy-duty work. He now walks with a limp and cannot stand for more than half an hour at a time.
Medical reports said he suffered from constant pain and had to take painkillers daily.
Maré blamed the accident on the department, saying it should have seen to it that the roads were maintained and did not pose a danger to motorists. He also said the department should have erected a sign warning people about the pothole.
It was ordered that the department was 70 percent liable for his damages and the matter was settled on the basis that R1,7m would be paid into the account of Maré’s lawyer. - The Star