BY ERIC MATOME KGOMO
MACHADODRP: The Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, has on Wednesday 21 April 2021 visited the N4 Road Infrastructure Project at Machadodorp in eMakhazeni Local Municipality. The minister visited the area to monitor and inspect progress on this massive government road infrastructure project in Mpumalanga Province. South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) and Trans African Concessions (TRAC), were in the midst and participated in the ministerial visit. Mpumalanga MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport Mohita Latchminarain, together with Executive Mayor of eMakhazeni Local Municipality Cllr Thomas Ngwenya, were also present. A total amount of R520 Million was set aside for the commission of the extensive upgrade, between Belfast and Machadodorp on the N4 Toll Route. The project is well in progress and is expected to be completed in the next three years. The upgrade will include widening of the toll road, road-works and the rehabilitation of a 30km section, which will also be upgraded to a four-lane carriageway. The development has created employment opportunities to over 280 workers, with 70% of employees coming from eMakhazeni and the other 30% sourced from eMalahleni and Steve Tshwete Local Municipalities. Furthermore, about 58 SMMEs are benefitting from this project, which are all local enterprises. The local businesses will be benefiting with no limitation in the R520 Million budget, as part of uplifting them. Welcoming the minister, eMakhazeni Executive Mayor Cllr Thomas Ngwenya said the local municipality has played a critical role in influencing the direction that the project must take. “We have seen a situation where our community members came to be part of the project and are now owners of this project, with the fact that they understand that this road belongs to them and is their asset,” he said. Ngwenya thanked the minister for investing in the project saying that it played a role in the fight against poverty and unemployment through employment of unskilled labourers and local SMMEs.“Post this project, we will have our contractors participating at a provincial and national level. This is a great achievement,” he said.
Addressing the attendees, Mbalula said the project will empower local businesses and unlock the full potential in their line of duties. “We need to empower, we need to skill and that skill must actually be transferred. For young people who some of them had no hope in anything, they are then absorbed by projects like these to become better in future,” he said. Mbalula hinted that the project is part of government’s broader infrastructure investment aimed at ensuring sustainable livelihood of the people and enabling economic activity.
The MEC stated that the overdue Moloto Rail Corridor Project will be well on track and requested MEC Latchminarain to ensure that the development is materialized. “I was talking to the MEC that we need to sit with our teams together with the National Treasury to workshop the Moloto Corridor and launch the project in this sphere,” he said. Mbalula highlighted that some of the projects are experiencing delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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