Every arm of government has failed Pongola. Poverty is rampant and the nearby N2 has been the scene of hundreds of deaths. Most recently, 18 pupils, a teacher and a driver were killed when after a truck collided head-on with their bakkie.
An abandoned quarry dam in Nseleni in northern KwaZulu-Natal which has become a popular swimming hotspot by local residents is under investigation by the department of mineral resources.