Neglected D4220 Road leaves Masehleng communities stranded
MASEHLENG – For residents of Masehleng Village and surrounding communities in Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality (FTLM), the D4220 road has become a symbol of broken promises and neglect.
Once a vital artery linking villages to economic opportunities, the gravel road is now in a deplorable state, cutting off access and forcing costly detours.
The D4220 is one of the major roads that connects King Sekhukhune Road and the R37 Road. It serves as an artery connecting various villages including Ga-Komane and Ga-Maele, and is used daily by people going to work.
Historically, it was a main bus road serving other villages including Ga-Radingwana, Malegale, Mohlaletse, Manganeng, Ga-Maila Segolo, Mphanama, Madibaneng, and Mathibeng, to name a few.
Today, that connectivity has collapsed. Buses no longer use the route. Taxis avoid it. Private vehicles risk damage daily.
Residents say they are now forced to use alternative roads, traveling about 100kms instead of the roughly 30kms the D4220 would cover. The detour adds hours to commutes, increases transport costs, and isolates communities from clinics, schools, and places of work.
According to residents, the road last received meaningful attention in 1992. They claim that the post-1994 government maintained the gravel road after every two months. However, residents say that since democracy, the road has never been properly taken care of.
The road remains gravel, and residents are now demanding a full upgrade to a tarred road.
Community members say they have been met with empty promises for over two decades. In 2001, government officials reportedly promised to construct bridges along the route. In 2019, another promise was made, a 7km tar road. Neither materialized.
In 2023, the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure told the community that a consulting company had been appointed and was busy with designs for the construction of a tar road. Three years later, residents say nothing has happened on the ground.
“The road is in a very bad state. We asked them to pay attention on the road. Last week they only sent one dozer and a tipper truck and there is no difference,” said Kwgadi Thobane, member of Masehleng Community Development Forum (MCDF).
Thobane stated that the community insists the D4220 must be prioritized after more than 30 years of waiting, and multiple unfulfilled commitments from 2001, 2019, and 2023.
“The time for designs and dozers is over. We want tar, bridges, and accountability. The impact is felt daily. Learners struggle to get to school during rainy periods when the road becomes impassable. Ambulances avoid the route, delaying emergency response. Workers spend more on transport and lose income due to longer travel times. Local businesses suffer as delivery vehicles refuse to risk the road,” informed Thobane.
At the time of publishing, the Department of Public Works, Roads and Roads Agency Limpopo had not responded to the paper’s media enquiries.
