Shocking poor D4220 road infrastructure incites worry
Tjate
Roads that are not properly and timeously maintained are costing South Africa millions of rands and have negative affecting the economy and society.
Members of the public, Tjate Tribunal Authority and Tau Phahlamohlaka Traditional office are calling on the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure in Limpopo to tar D4220 (Mathakane) road.
Two decade ago, to date, the road is not tarred and, in fact, is far from over due to lack of maintenance.
In the meantime, the community struggle to effectively commute to Tjate heritage site.
Freedom fighter of Bapedi community, the late Matsebe Thulare, 1st Sekhukhune was laid to rest in Tjate and as a result people cannot visit the area to honour their hero due to bad state on the road.
Chairperson of Tjate Development Forum, Abraham Kopotja, said local, district and provincial government failed the community of Tjate.
Kopotja said government has to blamed because people are forced to use long dry road says their vehicles damaged because of the poor road infrastructure with uneven surface and potholes.
“Community is just assembled and informed that maintenance of a D4220 road will be undertaken, and that it is the end of it. We attended several meetings with ANC ward 10 councillor Lucy Mohlaba but the road hardly ever materialise,” said Kopotja.
Kgwadi Thobane, community leader, said the promise made to construct the road is not honoured to this day.
Thobane said people of Ga Maela, Masehleng and nearby area continue to be concerned victims because ambulances struggle to use the D4220 road and forced to use alternatives.
He said in 2009 budget was issued to construct the road, and again in 2019 another budget was issued but the road is not tarred and no one knows anything.
“A shocking D4220 road is clear demonstration of poor road infrastructure. We want the department to re-gravel and maintain the road,” said Thobane.
He said it was unfair for government to abandon the road for almost 26years.
“Now stock thieves targeted the road after realising that police and the community cannot use the road. Ambulance fails to arrive in time.
On 25 January 2019 various stakeholders held a meeting regarding the road and later RAL issued statement confirming to tar the D4220 road from D4190 to Tjate which is 7km.
But that promise never materialised and the community alleged it was because of corruption and mismanagement.
Ward 38, ANC ward councillor, Moloke Makua, said over budget issued in 2019, he never saw approved awarded tender to construct the road.
“Recently the MEC Dickson Masemola sent a senior delegate who said their department had constrained budget,” said Makua
Attempt to get comment from department went unsuccessful at the time of print.
