Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za
3-minute read
10 July 2025 | 13:08 CAT

📷SANRAL’s multi-billion rand N2 Wild Coast Road (N2WCR) project. Image: Arrive Alive website

The Amadiba Crisis Committee has once again taken a stand, this time sounding the alarm over what they allege to be Sanral’s exploitative and destructive management of the N2 Wild Coast road project. With just 14 days to respond to mounting grievances, the Eastern Cape Department of Transport and Sanral face increasing pressure to account for serious allegations of corruption, environmental violations and human rights abuses.

According to Nonhle Mbuthuma, spokesperson for the Amadiba Crisis Committee, the core issue stems from Sanral’s disregard for communal land laws. “They bypassed the need for community consent and appointed unrecognised public liaison committees (PLCs),” Mbuthuma explained in an interview with Radio Islam. “These PLCs are not elected by us, yet Sanral insists they represent the community.”

One of the most damning revelations is the environmental damage caused by the project. Mbuthuma highlighted how untreated sewage from worker compounds is being discharged into local streams that the community relies on for drinking water. “We’ve never had municipal water. These streams are our lifeline. Now they’re contaminated,” she warned, adding that a diarrhoea outbreak has already begun in affected areas.

Despite submitting written complaints to the Department of Environmental Affairs and the local municipality, no action has been taken. “We’ve provided photographic evidence of the pollution and clinic conditions, but officials deny its existence,” she said.

The committee also raised serious concerns about extortion and bribery in the recruitment process. “Locals are being asked to pay R15,000 or even a cow just to secure a job. And these demands are being made by individuals closely tied to Sanral and the PLC,” said Mbuthuma.

In addition to alleged corruption and environmental negligence, the committee is also grappling with safety concerns. An 8-year-old girl was severely injured by a company vehicle, underscoring the risks the community faces.

Despite the opposition, Mbuthuma made it clear: “We want the road. But not at the cost of our land, health, and dignity. Sanral must meet us halfway.”

With legal support from the Richard Spoor Attorneys and a complaint lodged with the Human Rights Commission, the Amadiba community is calling not just for a road, but for justice.

Listen to the full interview on Your World Today with Annisa Essack and Nonhle Mbuthuma, spokesperson for the Amadiba Crisis Committee.