LOUIS TRICHARDT – There has been swift reaction from the South African Roads Agency (SARA) on objections against the highly controversial appearance of the name "Makhado" instead of "Louis Trichardt" on new signboards erected along the newly constructed N1 north toll road.

The name "Makhado" on all the boards have this week been blanked out with black plastic sheeting.

A spokesperson for the SARA said the changes on new signboards were effected after consultations between SARA engineers and the Makhado Municipality. If the Makhado Municipality wrongly informed them, the necessary changes will be made. Towards the end of last week all the Makhado names on the new signboards were covered up.

The Makhado Municipality in the meantime denied that they in any way misled the SARA about the name of the town of Louis Trichardt. An official statement by the municipality says that they were "highly surprised to hear that we are involved in the changing of names on the N1 sign boards." The statement says it is completely incorrect and misleading to say that the Municipality misled the Road Agency. (The full text of the statement appears elsewhere in this edition). Apart from the above, provincial authorities, displaying a total disregard for the safety of road users across the Soutpansberg, last week once again failed to enlighten the public about measures to solve a crises created by the MEC's for Public Works and Transport.

According to an official document the MEC's for Transport and Public Works made a decision to restrict the use of secondary roads leading to Musina and the Grobblersbrug border gates by some heavy vehicles. The restriction was placed on heavy vehicles above seven tons, which are part of the international traffic going across the border. The decision was intended to protect road infrastructure and to manage the maintenance programme.

In December, however, a mystery signboard went up along the N1, which created the impression that all vehicles of seven ton and more, were included in the directive to stay on the N1 across the mountain.

Disgruntled stakeholders protested the move, emphasising the very real life-threatening situation caused by forcing heavy vehicles across the mountain, especially while the N1 is undergoing major reconstruction. Several costly pile-ups and fatal accidents, involving heavy vehicles, occurred during this time on that section of the road.

Various requests to solve this artificial crisis drew no response from the two MEC's. Media requests for information were met with a statement that the issue would receive attention at MEC level.

In reply to a written request for information about the MEC's decision, the PRO for the MEC for Works responded with a letter from the CEO of the Provincial Roads Agency, which states that "the head of the Department of Transport has informed me that the MEC's have agreed to the proposal (that the restriction of heavy vehicles be lifted while construction is underway) and that the transport department is making the necessary preparations to implement it." Although this letter was written on April 14, all the road signs prohibiting heavy vehicles from seven tons and more to travel on roads other than the N1, were still prominently in place this week.

In an unbelievable display of a reckless disregard for the safety of traffic on the N1, the Department of Works refused to lift a finger to remedy this life-threatening situation. The PRO for the MEC of Works repeated a promise of three weeks earlier to produce a media release about the matter. Predictably nothing happened.