ActionSA plans ‘mother of all marches’ over stalled Polokwane bridge
ActionSA says the Nelson Mandela Drive bridge, budgeted at R50m in 2021, has ballooned to more than R70m and remains under 50% complete.
POLOKWANE – ActionSA says it will march to the Office of Premier on August 5 to demand answers over the stalled Nelson Mandela Drive bridge project, which the party alleges has become a “R70m cash cow” for politically connected individuals.
“The mother of all marches”
The party’s provincial treasurer, Tonic Manchidi, announced that the demonstration will start at SABC Park and he described it as “the mother of all marches”.
A budget that has ballooned
At the centre of ActionSA’s grievance is the bridge project near Polokwane’s industrial area, which began in 2021 with an initial budget of R50m.
According to the party, the cost has since escalated to more than R70m, while the bridge remains less than 50% complete.
“What was meant to be a critical piece of public infrastructure has instead degenerated into an apparent R70m cash cow for politically connected individuals, leaving the residents of Polokwane to bear the brunt of delayed development,” ActionSA said in a statement on Friday.
A “revolving door” of contractors
The party further alleges that the project has seen a “revolving door of contractors”, with the current contractor being the fourth appointed since construction began.
The EFF also conducted an oversight visit to the site last year and raised concerns about the prolonged delays.
Calls for an audit and accountability
ActionSA said it will use the march to demand an independent forensic audit into the project’s procurement process, including all four contractors, as well as a detailed financial reconciliation of how the R70m has been spent.
The party also wants failed contractors blacklisted and urgent intervention to ensure unpaid workers receive their outstanding wages.
“ActionSA will not sit idly by while the hard-earned money of Polokwane taxpayers is funnelled into the pockets of connected elites.
“We will utilise all available council mechanisms to ensure those responsible for this failure are held legally and financially accountable,” the statement reads.
The memorandum will also raise concerns over what the party describes as inadequate measures to curb illegal immigration.
Municipality points to design disputes
The Polokwane Municipality has previously attributed the delays to disputes between engineering consultants and contractors over structural designs, as well as community disruptions that affected construction during peak traffic periods into and out of Seshego.
