Dassierand road officially opened for public use

The local municipality officially opened the Dassierand road that leads to the Phelophepha landfill site on Friday, 9 October.

At the opening ceremony, Jack Monnakgothu, the director of technical services, expressed his satisfaction with the result. He says the purpose of the rehabilitation was to improve infrastructure and create easier access for commuters and community members travelling to and from schools, hospitals, and other public facilities.

The road is 8.6 km long and 0.7 km wide. Some of the community members who will directly benefit from this road are those residing in wards 6, 11, 13 and 17. The North-West MEC for public works and roads, Gaoage Oageng Molapisi, the Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality’s (DKKDM) district executive mayor, Barei Mosiane-Segotso and the J.B. Marks Local municipality’s executive mayor, Kgotso Khumalo, were some of the dignitaries who graced the occasion. They, too, expressed their satisfaction with the end product.

The project to rehabilitate the road began on 4 October last year and was practically completed on 14 August 2020. According to Mandla Tawana, the mayoral spokesperson, the planned date for completion was 14 May 2020. However, the national lockdown and adverse weather conditions delayed the handover. The contractual duration of the total project was eight months.

Besides the coronavirus pandemic and heavy rainfall, community involvement was another challenge during the process, as the road was extended through the four wards.

Tawana says one of the aims of the project was also to help develop and increase small-, medium- and micro-enterprise (SMME) involvement. While appointing local SMMEs and labourers posed a challenge, Tawana says the collaborative efforts of the councillors, community liaison officer (CLO), public service commission (PSC) and the contractor ensured its success.

About 46 labourers from wards 6, 11, 13 and 17 benefited from the development. During the implementation of the project, they focused on women and youth development.

Some of the works that were carried out were:

* Repairing existing potholes

* Stormwater management

* Installing guard rails

* Setting road signage and speed humps.

The cost of the project was R40,012,075.07 (including Vat).

Tawana thanked the MEC and district executive mayor for being there.

“Ours is to continue advancing the ‘Marks of Excellence’ and delivering quality services to our people,” he said.