Community loses hope as FTLM struggles to complete 2.7KM road
DRESDEN
There might be some truth with the allegations by some members of the community and municipal employees that the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality is “bankrupt”.
Most of the municipal projects, if not all, have stalled. In some projects, contractors have vacated site. One project facing similar challenges, is the Dresden Road Project.
A group from Dresden recently contacted this publication sharing their frustrations with regards to the Dresden Access Road Project. A tender for the 2.7km stretch of road was first advertised in February 2024, more than a year and nine months, this road is still incomplete.
Villagers claimed they are trapped in their yards due to the incomplete road, others said they are forced to travel longer distances to access their homes. Residents blamed the municipality for ”not caring” about them.
“The contractor is currently not on site, we doubt if this road will be completed. Imagine a big institution failing to complete a small road like the one in Dresden, it’s been a period of almost two years, some people are sleeping on duty,” said one resident from Dresden.
This publication also engaged the FTLM’s communications team, but they were yet to respond to the inquiries forwarded to them at the time of going to print.
On July 17, Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality’s mayor Eddie Maila conducted a site visit to Dresden. During his visit back then, he brushed off alleged social media reports that it has stalled and the contractor was overpaid.
He said the allegations raised on social media are not the true reflection of what is happening on the ground.
” I came here to check for myself, and my assurance to local communities, is that it will be completed. Under this administration we have no history of paying
contractors that are behind with their projects. If a contractor is behind on the progress of the project, even the expenditure will be aligned with the progress on the ground, or you will find that the progress is ahead and the expenditure is behind.”
