A multi-million rand government roads project which includes tarring a pothole-riddled gravel road linking Elliotdale and a number of villages with Madwaleni Hospital may finally be completed – more than six years after it was started.
Roads and public works MEC Thandiswa Marawu told Elliotdale residents during a visit on Thursday that her department had appointed private contractor Rumdel Construction to complete the project.
Rumdel will have until March 2017 to finish the work, said Marawu.
Despite government announcing in 2009 that the whole 33km route between Elliotdale and Madwaleni would be tarred at a cost of R90-million, only a section of the road has been surfaced since work started.
The MEC said her department’s in-house construction team had employed its crew to carry out the upgrading of the route in 2011, but that it realised it would not be able to finish the project due to various challenges. “A resolution was taken that the outstanding distance must be outsourced to a private contractor to finish the road,” she said.
“The plan was to get a contractor by April 1. However, after engagement with the community, it was resolved that this date should be moved forward to January-February.”
Despite this week’s announcement, several villagers in the area expressed mixed emotions about whether the job would ever be finished.
While some said they were overjoyed at the news, others said they would only believe it when the project was completed.
Ncihana village resident Monde Majavu said: “Since the project started, she never came here. All they do is speeches in Bhisho. They don’t really care that it’s an access road to a health facility which government should prioritise.”But one of his neighbours, Nomzi Gadlela, said she was happy at the news, as she had grown tired of inhaling dust kicked up by passing cars.
“I develop chest pains because I have to breathe in dust every day. We have to wait until night to hang up our washing.”
Noncedisile Poswa, a traditional leader in the area, described the gravel route as “excruciating” to drive on, especially for those who were sick and had to be rushed to Madwaleni.
Motorist Mvaba Gqibunyaka said he had spent around R25000 on fixing his car due to the bad condition of the road. He said many accidents had taken place on the route with cars often skidding out of control, especially when it rained.
“It’s in a despicable condition. Some patients even die before reaching hospital as it takes longer to drive,”
Road to hospital may finally be completed
Roads and public works MEC Thandiswa Marawu told Elliotdale residents during a visit on Thursday that her department had appointed private contractor Rumdel Construction to complete the project.
Rumdel will have until March 2017 to finish the work, said Marawu.
Despite government announcing in 2009 that the whole 33km route between Elliotdale and Madwaleni would be tarred at a cost of R90-million, only a section of the road has been surfaced since work started.
The MEC said her department’s in-house construction team had employed its crew to carry out the upgrading of the route in 2011, but that it realised it would not be able to finish the project due to various challenges. “A resolution was taken that the outstanding distance must be outsourced to a private contractor to finish the road,” she said.
“The plan was to get a contractor by April 1. However, after engagement with the community, it was resolved that this date should be moved forward to January-February.”
Despite this week’s announcement, several villagers in the area expressed mixed emotions about whether the job would ever be finished.
While some said they were overjoyed at the news, others said they would only believe it when the project was completed.
Ncihana village resident Monde Majavu said: “Since the project started, she never came here. All they do is speeches in Bhisho. They don’t really care that it’s an access road to a health facility which government should prioritise.”But one of his neighbours, Nomzi Gadlela, said she was happy at the news, as she had grown tired of inhaling dust kicked up by passing cars.
“I develop chest pains because I have to breathe in dust every day. We have to wait until night to hang up our washing.”
Noncedisile Poswa, a traditional leader in the area, described the gravel route as “excruciating” to drive on, especially for those who were sick and had to be rushed to Madwaleni.
Motorist Mvaba Gqibunyaka said he had spent around R25000 on fixing his car due to the bad condition of the road. He said many accidents had taken place on the route with cars often skidding out of control, especially when it rained.
“It’s in a despicable condition. Some patients even die before reaching hospital as it takes longer to drive,”
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