10-06-2025
Millions spent yet no road construction done
An R11 million access road upgrade and maintenance project in the deep rural village of Ga-Komane, Burgersfort, Limpopo has not yet been completed, leaving residents frustrated and questioning where the funds have gone.
Disgruntled residents accuse the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality of allegedly spending R11 million on a road that, according to them, shows little evidence of construction or improvement.
According to the municipality's Integrated Development Plan (IDP) budget records, villagers of Ga-Komane were allocated an amount of R11 million during the 2017/2018 financial period to upgrade a road in the village. However, nearly eight years later, residents claim there is little to show for this substantial investment.
Angry residents complain about an 11km stretch of road that remains in poor condition, making daily travel difficult and sometimes impossible.
'Our daily commuting becomes impossible during rainy seasons. We end up using donkeys as a mode of transport,' said concerned resident Ronald Maepa.
'This is not how we envisioned life after three decades of democracy,' he added.
Ga-Komane, situated in the Leole Mountains, is one of many rural communities in Limpopo province struggling with inadequate infrastructure. The poor road conditions not only affect daily commuting but also impact emergency services, economic activities, and children's access to education.
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Kgoshi Phillemon Komane expressed his disappointment: 'We can't believe we are still suffering as we were promised services and a better life for all. Our community has been patient, but after so many years, we need answers about what happened to the allocated funds.'
The challenge faced by Ga-Komane is not unique. Across South Africa, municipalities struggle with infrastructure project implementation, with billions in infrastructure grants going unspent annually while wasteful expenditure increases. According to recent reports, a lack of technical capacity, financial mismanagement, and weak oversight mechanisms contribute to these persistent problems.
The municipality has, however, denied that R11 million has been spent but acknowledged that maintenance work has been done in an attempt to upgrade the road.
Fetakgomo Tubatse Municipality spokesperson, Thabiso Mokoena, responded to the allegations: 'We cannot say R11 million has been spent. It is a lot of money. We could have done many things with R11 million because it is part and parcel of maintenance. We did not use that kind of money, but what we want to indicate to everybody is that the municipality spent money to create access to the community and other organs want to give services to the people of Ga-Komane.'
Both villagers and the municipality agree it would be impossible to spend R11 million on the stretch of access road that, according to residents, shows minimal improvements.
The situation highlights ongoing challenges in municipal accountability and infrastructure development across South Africa's rural areas. According to governance experts, enhancing oversight mechanisms and strengthening consequence management are crucial steps toward ensuring that allocated funds translate into tangible infrastructure improvements for communities like Ga-Komane.
As the rainy season approaches, residents continue to worry about their ability to access essential services, highlighting the real-world impact of delayed infrastructure projects on rural communities.
