RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - [On Monday, 27 January] the Democratic Alliance (DA) submitted a letter along with a petition signed by business owners of Koster to the MEC of Public Works and Roads, Lizzy Mokua, requesting her to urgently intervene in the incomplete road project of the R509 in Koster.
The MEC must also supply a comprehensive explanation about the project’s delays and the reasons for its abandonment.
The DA’s Freddy Sonakile, Spokesperson on Public Works and Roads in North West, and Mduduzi Maphanga, DA Councillor in the Kgetlengrivier Local Municipality, visited the site and engaged with business owners on Friday, 24 January, to assess the impact of the incomplete road project on Jameson Street in town, which has left the area inaccessible and businesses struggling to stay afloat.
The project, initially slated for completion last year, remains incomplete with no contractor on site. Disputes between contractors and subcontractors appear to have caused the halt in construction, leaving the road in an impassable state. Local businesses have reported significant profit losses as a result.
The DA is calling on the Department of Public Works to improve its oversight of road projects; this case is one of many where inadequate monitoring has led to incomplete infrastructure. Poor road conditions hinder economic development, and the DA calls for stricter accountability measures.
