Home » Pot Luck for Awesome South African Man Who’s Fixing Our Potholes!

Pot Luck for Awesome South African Man Who’s Fixing Our Potholes!

While many of us whinge about them, or swerve to avoid them, a South African man – Lymen Mlambo – has taken it upon himself to start fixing potholes in roads near Hartbeesport Dam without even being asked. And his efforts have been warmly and gladly received, with several people on Facebook offering their help and assistance. Local resident Vanessa […]

While many of us whinge about them, or swerve to avoid them, a South African man – Lymen Mlambo – has taken it upon himself to start fixing potholes in roads near Hartbeesport Dam without even being asked. And his efforts have been warmly and gladly received, with several people on Facebook offering their help and assistance.

Lymen Mlambo
Lymen Mlambo. Source: Facebook.

Local resident Vanessa Courtenay spotted the hard-working Lymen on Saturday, and after talking to him, shared the following post on the Kormorant Facebook page:

“This morning, I came across a young man fixing potholes in Ouwapad. I stopped to enquire who employed him to fix these horrid irritants.

“To my amazement I learnt that Lymen Mlambo, the young man fixing the potholes, buys his own cement and fixes the potholes off his own bat! Relying on donations from the public to cover expenses and hopefully a little more.

“Lymen created his own job! He doesn’t beg and performs a wonderful function! May I please ask we all support him?”

By Tuesday morning the story had been shared over 7,600 times, with people offering money, help, stories of others who had done similar deeds, and, most of all, gratitude.

One person said, “What an amazing inspiration and example for us all. Especially those who use these roads daily and complain without stopping…get out there and DO something like Mr Lymen did. This man is a king!”

Some cautioned about those people fixing potholes with sand and then emptying them again once motorists had passed.

Said another, “I will put R50 into an account to start it [a Christmas fund for Lymen] and ask for a mere R5 (or more if you can) donation towards this guy and give him a nice Christmas. Who is willing to help? He is in Hartbeespoort where I used to stay and the roads are terrible – well, were until he did something.”

The number of replies overwhelmed Vanessa, who said, “To the most amazing community! The outpouring of support has been phenomenal, never in my wildest dreams could I have hoped to achieve this level of recognition for Lymen. Thank you so very much.

“Offers of training and sponsorship has come far and wide! Let us effeciently co-ordinate our efforts. Please wait for further updates before commiting to financial aid. WE ALL WANT THIS TO WORK!”

***

South Africa’s potholes (along with many in the rest of the world) have long been the subject of complaints…and humour…as seen in the following pictures shared on Facebook:

Giraffe pothole

Potholes
Some have become creative with their potholes! Source: facebook

Pothole joke South Africa

bumpy roads sa

Pothole on Coleraine
An enormous sinkhole measuring around 20 metres wide and four metres deep which developed in Coleraine Drive in Bryanston, north of Johannesburg, a couple of years ago. The road – an arterial taking people from Sandton through to Rivonia – was closed for weeks.

MORE

To find out more and read the original post about Lymen Mlambo, please click here.