The incomplete road (R37) outside the Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market (MIFPM) is yet another setback for the project.
About six years ago MEGA announced its plan of creating a market for the province’s fruit and vegetables.

This project includes a portion of the R37/Lydenburg Road which is adjacent to the fresh produce market.

The road is still under construction, although there are days when the workers are present and sometimes they are working.

Desiree Ntshingila from MEGA has attributed the delay of the construction to the labour unrest and a contractor’s poor financial position.

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She said construction of the affected R37 portion was supposed to be completed at the end of February.

“Due to a number of issues, among which are those that have to do with the contractor’s poor financial position and the labour unrest on site which resulted in work stoppages during February to mid-March,” she said.

The contractor was appointed for the installation of civil engineering bulk services such as water, sewer and road networks. This started in February 2017.

Ntshingila had previously told the newspaper that a special allocation of R320,6 million was reserved for the completion of the bulk earthwork’s project, roads and storm water. The bulk earthwork’s project’s cost was R149,8 million. The roads and storm-water project is costed at R201,8 million.”

Meanwhile the cost of the market has exceeded initial estimates. In 2013 the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs estimated that the market would cost R1 billion over five years. In 2015 MEGA said R2 billion would be required to complete the project.

In 2018 the agency said it had a shortfall of approximately R1,2 billion.

The dates of completion have also changed. In February 2018 MEGA said the estimated completion date would be the end of 2019.

Ntshingila said it will be completed by early 2022.The site for the construction of the market buildings’ project was handed over to the main contractor on October 3, 2018.

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Meanwhile in downtown Mbombela there are fresh produce markets. Street vendors wake up before dawn to make sure that they can put food on the table.

These sellers have no idea what MIFPM is, they just try to make ends meet.

These vendors start working very early in the morning and knock off late at night when bus commuters and people in the CBD have already gone home. Almost all of them are from the rural areas surrounding Mbombela and they depend on public transport to get to work.

Suzan Sibindi from Newscom leaves her home at 03:00.

“I need to be here at 04:00 so I leave early. I wake up around 02:00,” she said.Nina Makhubela from Matsulu said she leaves her house around 04:00 every day so that she can get to town at 05:00.

“I get here early and I start selling to customers. This the only way that I can support my three children. We depend on this and it my responsibility to be here on time and leave late at night. I wake up wake up around 03:00,” she said.