By Luvuyo Mjekula
Two multimillion rand projects to rehabilitate roads and infrastructure have started in Makhanda, and the Makana Municipality is excited the projects are finally being rolled out after delays.
The M Street and Albert Road rehabilitation project, with a budget of R28m, has officially started, said a statement from the municipality this week.
“The old tar has been removed and work continues in Albert Road [in Fingo Village],” said the statement from spokesperson, Anele Mjekula.
He said the team that will be installing the paving blocks would follow as soon as the surface had been prepared accordingly.
“This is a frequently used taxi route that provides access to the CBD and various services. Makana Municipality residents will benefit in various ways from this project.
“Some benefits will be through temporary employment, good road infrastructure, and work for local SMMEs. The leadership of Makana Municipality is excited that this project is finally underway, following a number of delays.”
Mjekula said an amount of R28 million has been budgeted to rehabilitate the 4.2km stretch of road. The consultant is LA Consulting Services, the contractor is Ibhabhathane Civil and Construction while Ibhayi Lami Group is the social facilitator of the project.
Grocott’s Mail spoke to workers on the project.
Ntombekhaya Funani, a traffic control flagger, said she had been unemployed for a long time and was relieved to get the job on the project. She says she is now able to feed her children and family.
“I am now employed. Our municipality is working. I had nothing, but now I have something,” said Funani.
Another worker, Thobeka Plaatjie, a Vukani mother who was also out of work for a while was relieved. “As a mother, a breadwinner, a single mother with children, now has something to give to her children. I am so happy that I got this opportunity.”
A 74-year-old Joza resident shocked the workers when he arrived at the construction site looking for work. He said as an experienced construction worker, he deserved to an opportunity in the project. He later told Grocott’s the ward councillor had assured local residents more job opportunities would be available in the project in time.
Meanwhile, DA Makana councillor Cary Clarke reported on online platforms that work in another road rehabilitation project in York Street had started. She alerted local residents to the closures of certain areas such as the Y junction between York and Webber streets, up to the end of York Street, as well as the bottom of Musgrave and Siegfried streets.
Grocott’s Mail reported in March that the Makana municipal council had approved spending R30m of grant funding on upgrading and surfacing the municipality’s internal roads and R9.2m on repairing those hit hard by floods in 2023. It was reported at the special council meeting that the municipality had secured a total of R69.2m in grant funding – an estimated R60m from the office of the premier, as part of the Small Towns Revitalisation Programme (STRP), and R9.2m under the Municipal Disaster Recovery Grant.
Municipal manager Pumelelo Kate had also submitted, for council’s approval, a report containing a list of flood-damaged roads requiring repairs. According to the report, the municipality had suffered damage, mainly to its road infrastructure, on 15 September 2023. Some roads, both surfaced and unsurfaced, were washed away by the floods.
The National Disaster Management Centre had declared the floods a national disaster for the Eastern and Western Cape provinces.
Following collaboration in all three spheres of government, plans were put in place to work together to fund and repair the damages.
A business plan and the assessment report were prepared and submitted to the provincial disaster management centre and on 22 March 2024, the Makana municipality was invited for a virtual inception meeting for the approved funding of R9.2m for the road repairs for flood damages. An amount of R9.2m was transferred to the municipality for the project on the same day.
In terms of the project, Currie Street would undergo reconstruction at a cost of R3m, while road and stormwater infrastructure work in Market Street would be allocated R2m and roads and stormwater infrastructure in York and Siegfried streets R3.7m.
Vukani residents were also set to benefit from the re-gravelling of the area, at a cost of R500 000.
The road repairs have been welcomed by the Makhanda community, including motorists and formerly unemployed residents.
