By Nandipha Twani
The multimillion-rand M Street road rehabilitation project has been suspended since February 2025, making driving on the severely degraded road a nightmare for motorists.
According to Gcobani Mankomo, site manager for Ibhabhathane Civil and Construction, the company responsible for the project, the suspension was due to non-payment of funds by the Department of Transport and Sarah Baartman District Municipality.
The District Municipality confirmed that the project had been “slightly delayed due to various reasons, including issues of payment”.
Mankomo said the Transport Department has now claimed the money will be paid by April 9, after which work would resume.
Transport Department spokesperson Unathi Binqose confirmed that the project would resume “by next week at the latest”.
Mankomo said Ibhabhathane’s boss had paid workers out of his own pocket when payment commitments were not fulfilled. However, the company was forced to lay off some staff when payment failed to arrive, and the company could not afford to pay sub-contractors. According to sources, some Ibhabhatane employees are now seeking employment at other sites out of desperation.
In June 2024, two multimillion-rand projects to rehabilitate roads and infrastructure began in Makhanda.
A R28m project, including the rehabilitation of M Street, a busy taxi route, started in June 2024 with the removal of old tar to install new paving blocks.
The original completion date was set for June 2025. However, Binqose said this timeline would have to be adjusted due to delays caused by payment problems and “weather conditions”. He said the Transport Department would assess the reasons for the continued delays before making changes to the schedule.
“It is important to note that the delay is not due to a lack of funds. The necessary funds for payment are available; however, since they are using public resources, it is essential to ensure that the services rendered meet acceptable quality standards before any payments are made,” Binqose said.
The project has been mired for months.
In a Facebook post on February 4, the Sarah Baartman District Municipality reported that the district municipality and the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) conducted an oversight visit for the M Street, Albert Street and Ncame Street upgrades.
In the two-month-old Facebook post, the Transport Department claimed that all the late payment issues had been resolved.
“The contractor has also promised to catch up with lost time,” the post stated. “The MPAC chairperson, Cllr Runeli, asked the contractor to submit the revised program of works and remedial plan to clearly outline the measures in place to ensure the project will be completed in June.”
However, motorists continued to suffer for months on barely passable roads.
