Plans to upgrade R40 in Bushbuckridge underway
Traditional leaders in Mpumalanga are grateful that the improvement of the national road will facilitate road safety and tourism activity.
In preparation to upgrade the Nsikazi’s R40, the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (Sanral) hosted a stakeholder information sharing session with the traditional leadership of the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality (BLM).
The session, along with a site visit to inspect Section 5 of the R40 with BLM’s executive mayor, Cllr Sylvia Nxumalo, and the president of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa and the chairperson of the house of traditional leaders in Mpumalanga, Kgoši Mathibela Mokoena, took place on Thursday July 28.
Sanral fostered a collaboration with traditional leadership and consultations regarding project-related activities from which local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and local communities can benefit.
The R40 upgrade will start from Hazyview to Maviljan, and to Arthur Seat. The traditional leadership welcomed this project that will not only bring employment and subcontracting opportunities, but will boost the tourism sector and lead to improved road safety in the long term.
Mokoena said that such engagements are important. “The R40 is busy and congested. Many lives have been lost because the road is not user-friendly. The arrangement by Sanral to come to engage, benefits us as we obtain the correct information first-hand,” he said.
“A lot of people will be employed when this project gets under way. Bushbuckridge is a rural municipality. More than 64% of our community is unemployed. Graduates with qualifications are sitting at home. We are grateful that this road will be improved and will facilitate road safety and more tourism activity in our municipality.”
Nxumalo said Sanral as an agency of the Department of Transport is demonstrating leadership and that the Government is serious about service delivery.
“As Bushbuckridge Local Municipality, we are confident that the R40 upgrade will get the much-needed support from local people because they have been consulted. Sanral promises to hit the ground running, particularly on the matters of land acquisitions with the stakeholders from the 272 stands affected,” she said.
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The majority of the land affected is tribal land. “Sixty hectares of land will need to be acquired and all occupants of affected sites will be engaged one-on-one starting from the first week of August,” Nxumalo said.
Sanral’s project manager, Vanessa Kgaphola, said the project will create jobs for local labour and training opportunities for unskilled labour in BLM.
“As part of empowering the local SMMEs and the community, the R40 upgrade will include community development initiatives. SMMEs and targeted labour who meet the requirements will be involved in community development initiatives such as training opportunities,” Kgaphola said.
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The R40 is a link to the N4 Maputo Development Corridor, which improves trade and stimulates economic development between South Africa and Mozambique. The R40 traverses through strategic economic hubs in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, and provides a direct link to mining industries in Phalaborwa, Hoedspruit and Barberton, as well as the tourism industry.
