Man misses mother's funeral due to pothole

A South African academic is planning to sue the government after a pothole damaged his car and forced him to miss his mother's funeral, the Beeld newspaper reported on Monday.

University professor Wannie Carstens's car hit a pothole and burst a tyre when travelling at around 100 km per hour in darkness on Sunday morning in the country's north-west.

The car was towed to a town and the tyres replaced but Carstens could not continue to Upington, a drive of more than 600 km, due to possible further damage to the vehicle.

"My brother was upset, and my sister was in tears," he told the newspaper.

Carstens plans to sue the provincial government for 6,000 rands ($780, 589 euros) covering damage to the car.

A spokesman for the North West department of roads acknowledged that the road was in need of major repairs but said there was a lack of funds.

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