Teaching and learning at five schools in Limpopo have been disrupted due to protest linked to a road project in Mabitsi and Seriting villages outside Marble Hall.
Community leader Kali Maelana said they would continue protesting until MEC for public works, roads and infrastructure Nkareng Rakgoale addressed them about the road project.
“The department keeps telling us that they are working on our issue but we never get updates from them,” Maelana said.
The protests have halted learning at Mahlare Senior Secondary School and Lekometse Primary School, among others.
Maelana said the community was tired of the bad conditions of the road in the area.
“During rainy seasons the river gets flooded and people are unable to cross because we don’t have a proper bridge. Our road is in a bad state,” he said.
Spokesperson for the provincial department of public works, roads and infrastructure Witness Tiva said it was unfortunate that the community had opted to protest.
“MEC for public works, roads and infrastructure Nkakareng Rakgoale is concerned that some community members have taken to the street disrupting schooling in expressing their discontent, despite efforts by the department’s agency RAL [Roads Agency Limpopo] to ensure that the road is upgraded,” Tiva said.
He saidRAL appointed a consultant to work on designs for the road in the area, adding that once the designs are completed the process to appoint a contractor will start.
“Budgetary constraints actually hampers the upgrading of roads in many parts of our province, where we have a backlog of about 13,000km of gravel roads that still needs to be tarred, and for this to happen we need billions of rand. It is therefore not delays, but lack of enough funds to fully deliver on our mandate of infrastructure provision,” Tiva said.
He said Rakgoale has instructed senior officials from the department and RAL to start engaging with the community in order to resolve the stalemate.
“The MEC also pleaded with community members not to disrupt the provision of other government services such as education, but rather utilise peaceful ways of raising their discontent,” Tiva said.
mahopoz@sowetan.co.za
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