Irregularities marred Ephraim Mogale Ward 11 road project
MAKHUTSO – A R6 million road re-graveling upgrade meant to link three villages in Ephraim Mogale Local Municipality (EPMLM) Ward 11, has triggered outrage among residents, who say the work is poorly managed and potentially compromised by insider dealings.
The project kicked off in April 2026 and covers 9km of gravel road between Selebaneng, Makhutso, and Manotolwaneng.
Contractors were tasked with reworking the roadbed, bringing in material compacted to 90% MOD AASHTO standard, and digging earth drains to handle storm water.
But locals who live along the route say what’s happening on the ground doesn’t match the plan.
People from the area claim there is no Community Liaison Officer (CLO) on site, no registered safety officer overseeing the work, and no site office set up for inductions or visitor logs. They also say traditional leaders were never formally introduced to the contractor before the work began.
The biggest worry, residents say, is the deep excavation open trenches left unattended across the route.
“They dig deep and just walk away. No barriers, no warning signs. Livestock and kids are walking past those holes every day,” said one Makhutso resident.
South Africa’s Construction Regulations 2014 are clear, most public sector sites need a registered Construction Health and Safety Officer. Contractors are also required to fence off excavations, put up danger signage, and keep a proper site register.
Residents have gone further, alleging that a ward committee member is personally profiting from the contract.
According to them, the same member is renting out rooms to workers, leasing land for machinery storage, and working as a security guard on the project.
“That’s textbook conflict of interest. We took it to the municipality and nothing happened,” said another community member who asked not to be named.
Municipal systems guidelines state that any ward committee member with a financial stake in a matter before the committee must recuse themselves. Locals argue that principle has been ignored here. They also say the ward councillor was informed but hasn’t intervened.
When residents approached the municipal official assigned to monitor the job, they say they were ignored.
“He told us there’s no corruption and that we shouldn’t bring him those complaints. He was rude and dismissive,” the resident added.
Frustrated by the silence, villagers say they’re preparing to take their evidence to the Limpopo Department of Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs (COGHSTA), and to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) if no action is taken.
This isn’t the first time Ephraim Mogale Municipality has faced scrutiny over road contracts.
A separate R22 million project collapsed allegedly after payments were made to a contractor accused of not completing the work, leading to the suspension of a municipal director.
At the time of going to print, the municipality had not responded to questions sent by this publication.
