After years of delays, budget cuts and growing public frustration over deteriorating road conditions in the Makhado area, the Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL) has finally taken a visible step forward.

On Sunday, 16 November, the agency introduced the newly appointed contractors responsible for rehabilitating three of the region’s most troubled and strategically important routes: the R522 between Louis Trichardt and Vivo, the D4 linking the N1 to Elim, and the D3715 between Muduluni and Tshikwarani. The introduction took place during a formal session at the Makhado Local Municipality’s council chamber, convened by RAL board chairperson Moses Tseli and attended by municipal officials, traditional leaders and political representatives.

Kgahlodi Catering and Projects will undertake the maintenance of 13 km of the R522 (P98/2) under contract T1417, a nine-month project valued at approximately R42 million. On the D4 route, contract T1420 has been awarded to Brightwave Building and Renovations for the maintenance of roughly 4 km, scheduled to run for seven months at a cost of about R28 million. The D3715 between Muduluni and Tshikwarani will be maintained under contract T1421 by Moreje Construction, which will rehabilitate 4 km over six months with a budget of around R22 million. These projects mark an important step in addressing critical road conditions across the region.

Sunday’s meeting was the first occasion on which stakeholders were brought face to face with the contractors tasked with restoring routes many residents now describe as unsafe and neglected. The significance of the gathering was underscored by the fact that, in recent months, the provincial roads agency has come under sustained criticism for stalled projects, contractor terminations and a growing backlog of maintenance.

The circumstances leading up to Sunday’s meeting paint a stark picture. As reported earlier this year, RAL requires an estimated R14 billion merely to rehabilitate and maintain Limpopo’s 6,000 km network of tarred roads — an amount far beyond its means. The agency’s annual budget has collapsed from nearly R2.9 billion in 2024/25 to just over R958 million this year, with a further reduction expected next year. This has had a crippling effect on road rehabilitation across the province, including on the R522 and D4, where progress has repeatedly stalled.

Democratic Alliance (DA) opposition Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) Marie Helm has been one of the most vocal critics, publicly accusing RAL of “abandoning” projects after contractors failed or funding dried up.

Yet RAL has pushed back against suggestions that it has walked away from its responsibilities. In earlier correspondence, its senior communications manager, Danny Legodi, explained that projects were not being abandoned but rather paused as failing contractors were terminated and fresh procurement processes undertaken. The R522 is one such example: after the completion of earlier phases, the latest phase had to be halted when the appointed contractor performed poorly, forcing the agency into a lengthy termination and re-tendering process.

It was against this backdrop — of strained resources, political pressure and anxious communities — that Sunday’s introductory meeting unfolded. “Please note that the commencement dates will vary from one project to another and [are] determined by the processes of engagements with the communities,” Legodi told the newspaper on Tuesday.

While Sunday’s developments have been welcomed, scepticism lingers. Helm, who has repeatedly questioned RAL’s efficiency in the provincial legislature, previously warned that residents are weary of “promises without deadlines”, citing earlier assurances that contractors would be on site by specific dates — promises that came and went without progress. Her view reflects a broader public sentiment: that until machinery rolls in and workers appear on the roads, confidence will remain muted.

In light of RAL’s major budget cuts, Helm has this time asked where RAL will get the money for these projects, adding that the agency does not have the mandate to undertake them. “Where are they going to get the money to do that? Their mandate is to upgrade gravel roads to tar, but they can only do 31 km of that this financial year. So, what are they going to do with these other projects? They are not supposed to be doing these projects,” said Helm.

Regarding this, Helm said that the Memorandum of Agreement between RAL and the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure, whereby they assist each other, has yet to be approved. “It has not gone through the provincial legislature and has not even been seen by the portfolio committee. We [the DA] have asked for it, but have not received it. It seems that the department is functioning on its own. No oversight is possible because they just do what they want. The department decided to cut RAL’s budget and decided that there needs to be a Memorandum of Agreement, but it never gets done,” said Helm.

For now, residents wait — hopeful that this time, the momentum does not fade before the first asphalt is laid.