Gauteng MEC for Public Transport and Roads infrastructure, Jacob Mamabolo, conducted a site inspection of an abandoned road construction project in Soshanguve extension 5 and 13, in the City of Tshwane, accompanied by local councillor Saki Ntohla and the owner of Nweti Construction, Joshua Ndlovhu.
This follows his visit, when he did the monitory of roads construction, which led him to discover that there was abandoned sites which motorist complained that they were unable to access some streets in the area and also commuters were forced to walk long distance to catch public transport due to dug up street.
“Firstly I was very happy with one service provider that we had appointed as the provincial government who’s doing the M20 road but when I heard that there is abandoned site here in the same area, I really felt that it was unacceptable and it required my intervention to troubleshoot this issue and get back to the project”, said MEC Mamabolo.
Residents were badly affected after the Nweti Construction contractor abandoned the site as they were forced to walk long distance to catch public transport and some have to park their cars and walk. Tumelang Kekana from Extension 13 said that service delivery is a core issue they faced every day.
“We are all affected by what is happening here especially for our road, the project is taking forever and during rainy season we are unable to even go to the shops because the road will be full of water, and when the rain stops when time goes by here it becomes smelly on this hole and the smell chases customers and that alone is costing the local business owner”. Said Kekana.
MEC Mamabolo added that he disagreed with the allegations that the City of Tshwane did not pay the contractors, however he confirmed in the presence of the owner of Nweti’s Construction, Joshua Ndlovhu, thus he did not disagree that he was paid but he said that his company had internal challenges and they were resolved.
He further added that the local councillor has plead with the community members to allow the constructors to continue with their project which is expected to resume this coming Monday.
He ended his statement by saying if the project does not start on Monday he will immediately activate the process of the MEC to check what can be done.
“Whatever problems they had, they have been resolved them and work will commence on Monday and hopefully in about three months they would have dealt with the big road. I’ve welcomed the fact that they had solved their own internal problems and we have agreed that they have to find an alternative road which residents will be using for now”.
