Hundreds of Limpopo villagers protest about potholes
The provincial roads department says there’s no budget to complete repairs on the busy D4 linking Elim to the N1
Hundreds of frustrated villagers blocked roads in Elim, bringing businesses and nine schools, to a standstill. They are demanding that government complete repairs on the D4 road connecting Elim to the N1. Photo: Thembi Siaga
- Hundreds of protesters marched in Elim, Limpopo, on Tuesday to demand that the government urgently repair the D4 road linking the town to the N1.
- Construction on the road started in July and was meant to be completed in December. But this deadline has not been met.
- Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads, and Infrastructure spokesperson Luyanda Sithole says that R46-million was used to complete about 46km of the road.
- However, most of the road is unfinished, and “there is currently no budget allocated for its completion”.
- Public Works will continue patching potholes and creating bypasses to maintain safe access in the meantime, Sithole said.
Hundreds of protesters marched through Elim, Limpopo, to demand that Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads, and Infrastructure fulfill its promises to complete the road from Elim to the N1.
The project to rebuild the road started in July last year, with a tender of R19-million awarded to a contractor. The road was meant to be completed by 20 December, but this has not happened. The delay has caused significant disruptions for motorists and for dozens of local informal traders whose stalls along the route have been closed for more than a year while construction is underway.
The 100km stretch, first built in 2006, links the N1 to Malamulele via Elim and Vuwani but has deteriorated significantly.
This week’s protests were sparked by MEC Ernest Rachoene’s visit on 6 January, where he joined some workers patching potholes in Elim. Protesters complained that government has been prioritising patching potholes instead of rebuilding the road. They argue it is ineffective and senseless. A few weeks ago GroundUp reported that Vhembe’s farmers have been struggling with deteriorating roads.
This week, most businesses and schools around Elim shut their doors as the large crowd of protesters blocked roads with large branches and other debris. Only health workers and patients heading to hospitals or clinics were allowed to pass.
“The road is in terrible condition due to heavy rains, creating numerous potholes. Just last week, a food delivery truck was stuck for an entire day before reaching the school,” said Regina Mufamadi, a member of the Masindi Primary School Governing Body (SGB).
An informal trader, who has been selling fruit and vegetables along the D4 road for years, told GroundUp that many of them had relied on the money they made from selling to the high volume of people that travelled through there.
Amelia Baloyi of the Tshitale Taxi Association said taxis broke down daily and owners had to make constant repairs.
According to the Roads Agency Limpopo’s 2021/2022 Annual Performance Plan, R46-million was allocated to maintain the D4 road from Elim to Malamulele.
Department spokesperson Luyanda Sithole said that the R46-million had been used to complete Phases 1 and 2, covering about 46km of the road. However most of the road remains unfinished, and “there is currently no budget allocated for its completion”, she said.
“As additional budget allocations are received, the Roads Agency Limpopo will proceed with completing the remaining sections. In the interim, Public Works will continue patching potholes and creating bypasses to maintain safe access,” she said.
Published with Limpopo Mirror
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