R8.6bn and more required to give all roads a facelift…

At least R8.6 billion was an amount the provincial government ought to have had in the kitty to adequately address the back-lock in road upgrades and maintenance of all roads (gravel and surfaced ) in Bokone Bophirima.

Currently, that estimated amount is bound to escalate even higher, as mother nature showed her might in the past month in the form of torrential rains and floods that have caused extensive damage to the provincial road infrastructure in both urban and rural areas.

Premier Supra Mahumapelo acknowledged in his State Of The Province Address delivered in Taung, the challenge of under-funding for road infrastructure in the province, now exacerbated by excessive damage caused by mother nature in the past month.

“ It is becoming increasingly difficult to rely exclusively on public funding given the pressures on the budget,” he said.

Mahumapelo said the province was exploring “possible” public, private partnerships to:

“ Deal with the effects of mining haulage or heavy mining transport machinery on our roads network.”

Most of the damage, which must be prioritised, he said, was in the Villages, Townships and Small Dorpies (VTSD).

“ Focus will be on strategic economic roads that connect villages to villages, villages to townships and villages to small dorpies,” Mahumapelo said.

He also berated community members who “deliberately damage roads” during service delivery protest and warned that such tendencies “complicates our challenge”.

But it is not all lost as work has begun in earnest on the road between Mahikeng and Lichtenburg, called “Nelson Mandela Highway”. (See page 3)

Mahumapelo also confirmed a threshold of 20km to be awarded per contractor in all future road tenders from the beginning of the 2017-2018 financial year.

If the pronouncement is fully implemented, expectations are, different contractors will work on separate 20km sections of the road project depending on its length.

“ In the spirit of `bietjie-bietjie maak meer'' no contractor in the province will be allocated a road tender which is more than 20km with effect from the beginning of the 2017-2018 financial year,” cautioned Mahumapelo.

There is all likelihood therefore, that the new regime may begin to find expression in road tenders in the pipeline to be advertised in the new financial year which include:

The road from Dudfield to Gelukspan; Molatedi to Derdepoort; Setlopo-Dithakong-Mantsa to Mareetsane; Lokaleng-Mogosane-Tlapeng to Mmasutlhe; Delaryville-Ganalaagete-Kopela to Mareetsane.

On the flip side on matters related to Public Works and Roads, SOPA also addressed king-size challenges the department has been dealing with of illegal as well as rent defaulters occupying state houses in province, with particular reference to tenants in the suburbs of Mahikeng.

The department has already engaged the sheriff in an effort to recoup approximately R5million from affected tenants.

Mahumapelo hinted he would announce “an amnesty period” for illegal occupants and defaulters in Mahikeng:

“ ...encouraging all people who have acquired and occupied state properties including houses illegally to come forward before necessary legal action are taken against them.”

*The province is also expected to table a VTSD Preferential Procurement Bill in the North West Legislature to force both the state and private companies to spend 70 percent of their procurement budgets to procure goods and services in Villages, Townships and Small Dorpies,

“ The VTSD Preferential Procurement Act will definitely come into effect from April 1, 2017 with the new financial year 2017-2018 and Government is still committed to achieving the 70 percent procurement,’’ said Mahumapelo.

*The Executive Council has mandated North West Development Corporation to proceed with the implementation of core elements of Mahikeng Rebranding, Repositioning and Renewal Programe (MRRRP) the Government precinct, stadium and Mahikeng International Convention Centre.

Discussions are at an advanced stage to secure strategic partner to invest R10billion in these projects.

ENDS

 

Issued by Communication Directorate
Contact Person: Matshube Mfoloe
Contact Number: 018 388 4451
E-mail:mmfoloe@nwpg.gov.za