Work on the Johanna Drive road rehabilitation project is expected to resume on Thursday, November 5, after the resolution of alleged payment issues that halted construction.

However, the resumption comes after three weeks of complete inactivity that sparked severe backlash from residents and motorists who felt misled by earlier progress reports.

Three weeks of inactivity

During the prolonged downtime, the site appeared abandoned, leaving critical safety hazards unaddressed. Most notably, speed humps remain unmarked, permanent road signage has not been erected, and road markings are missing.

ALSO READ: Stop-and-go controls resume on Mbombela’s Johanna Drive

Community members have raised sharp questions over official claims that the project remains ‘on schedule’ for a December 15 completion date, given the lack of visible progress in recent weeks.

Beyond basic resurfacing, residents highlight numerous incomplete contract scope items that were raised in prior project meetings but remain unresolved:

• Traffic calming safety: Delays in installing the traffic calming circle at the De Hoek Estate entrance, completing speed humps, painting road markings, and erecting permanent signage.
• Structural and road repairs: Unrepaired road sections between the island at the upper end of the road, damaged barriers below Boulders Estate, and unreplaced curb stones.
  • Infrastructure and drainage: Incomplete bus stops and unfinished subsoil drainage systems.

Payments issues resolved, work to resume

According to City of Mbombela (CoM) spokesperson Joseph Ngala, the municipality is only a stakeholder in the project and is not directly involved in its day-to-day management or execution.

The project is managed by the national Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) through the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (Misa), which appointed the contractor, YBS Projects.

Ngala said the contractor had reportedly stopped work over a payment dispute with the managing authorities, although this had not been confirmed. He added that the issue had since been resolved.

ALSO READ: Johanna Drive contractor outlines road rehabilitation timeline

A site meeting involving general management and YBS Projects was scheduled for November 3 to evaluate progress and update stakeholders.

When work restarts on November 5, crews are expected to mill and reseal the remaining section of the road towards the school, install kerbstones, complete the bus stop, and finalise road cleaning and line marking over the coming weeks.

Outstanding work and handover

The contractor maintains that the site will be cleared and the project handed over to the municipality by December 15, after which the CoM will assume long-term maintenance responsibility.

In the interim, Ngala said motorists are strongly urged to exercise extreme caution due to ongoing construction, unmarked humps, and active site hazards.

Neither Cogta spokesperson Pearl Maseko-Binqose nor contractor YBS Projects provided formal responses to media enquiries before publication. Their responses will be published in a follow-up article.