Sanral has taken over Nelson Mandela Drive in Standerton
Thabethe said the engagement between the municipality and the national Department of Transport and Sanral might lead to Sanral also taking over critical roads in the Lekwa municipal region, including the R50 next to Early Bird and Beyers Naudé Drive and other roads that previously belonged to the national and provincial governments.
The executive mayor of Lekwa Municipality, Delani Thabethe said: “The call and a number of engagements that begun early in 2022 by the Lekwa Municipality with the South African National Road Agency Limited (Sanral), the national Department of Transport, the premier’s office in Mpumalanga, the Department of Public Works and the Gert Sibande District Municipality have finally produced some positive results, since Sanral has taken over Nelson Mandela drive.”
The official take over and inclusion of this section of the road into the R23 national road was officially declared by the Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, in the government gazette number 49656.
Thabethe further added that this is a result of extensive engagements with both the national and provincial governments that maintenance of the roads connecting provinces should be the responsibility of Sanral as roads play a vital role in the national economy through goods that are being transported using these roads.
“Sanral has officially taken over the maintenance of this road and began fixing potholes on this very important road as we are entering the busy December holidays.”
The Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, said in the government gazette that she declares the section of the road beginning from the intersection known as Dr Nelson Mandela and Leask Street at the time of declaration, continuing in a general north west direction along the street known as Dr Nelson Mandela and Handel Street continuing in the general northern direction along the street, Walter Sisulu Drive up to the junction at the national road the R23, also known as the intersection between the streets known as Walter Sisulu Drive and Krogh Street in Standerton, as a national road.
“This will enable us to direct our limited financial resources to the internal streets in town and our residential areas,” concluded Thabethe.
