A stalled road upgrade at Groutville is causing increasing frustration, with residents complaining about vehicle damage and relentless dust.

The busy road in question connects the N2 and R102. Construction began early last year and for a time, the site was a hive of activity. However, work came to an abrupt halt last November amid allegations that the contracted company, Benixo, had not paid workers and subcontractors.

According to workers and subcontractors who spoke to the Courier, the construction workers staged a strike in November, allegedly attempting to set fire to the construction site.

“We only received our November payment in December,” said one person, employed as a traffic controller for the stop-and-go. Subcontractors also said they faced payment delays.

“We are supposed to be paid every two weeks, but that did not happen. We even visited the offices of the Department of Transport for assistance,” said one subcontractor.
Benixo declined the opportunity to comment.

However a well placed source within the company, who requested anonymity, blamed the delays on the Transport Department, claiming that the department had failed to release payments to the company on time.

“This caused a ripple effect, delaying payments for everyone involved,” said the source.

However the company was confident that construction would resume soon as materials were being gradually delivered.

Department of Transport spokesperson Ndabezinhle Sibiya said that the matter was under review.

“We will issue a formal statement once the facts have been established,” said Sibiya.

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