Department of Public Works and Roads resumes Routine Roads Maintenance Project...

Mahikeng –North West Department of Public Works and Roads resumes the Routine Road Maintenance Project. The project implemented under the Departments’ Vuk’phile Contractor Development Programme suffered delays due to administrative-related issues as communicated last week. 

Addressing participants of the Vuk’phile Contractor Development Programme, MEC for Public Works and Roads, Gaoage Oageng Molapisi emphasised the importance of successfully exiting (57) participants in line with the agreed-upon exit plan; bringing to closure all outstanding issues relating to the programme and ensuring that this project is labour intensive.

MEC Molapisi believes “The Department has come a long way to develop an exit plan for the current contractors. Successful implementation of the ‘exit plan’ will allow a new intake of one hundred and sixty (160) contractors before the end of the 2023/2024 financial year. 

Routine Roads Maintenance projects to be undertaken by Vuk’phile Contractor Development participants include drainage maintenance, roadside maintenance, traffic signs and road furnishers; and vegetation maintenance, and not only grass-cutting as it is commonly known.  The project will be implemented over four months at a  total value of R 84 million per month with significant impact on job creation. 

“The main objective of the project is to benefit our communities through employment creation and development of SMMEs.As a result, I expect to get a report regularly detailing opportunities created across all areas of work. I will monitor closely this project to confirm that 4 350 job opportunities have been created; which is a positive move at the time when we are grappling with worrisome levels of unemployment in our communities,” MEC Molapisi said.

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