For decades, Schoongezicht residents in Blouberg, Limpopo, have lived without a tar road. They say the gravel route that links their village to nearby towns becomes unusable during the rainy season, cutting them off from schools, workplaces and healthcare.

“Ever since I was born, there has never been a tar road in our village,” said 27-year-old Scotch Tjale.

“When it rains, cars cannot go through because the road floods. People cannot get to work, children cannot get to school and ambulances struggle to reach us.”

Moloko Ngoepe, a concerned resident, recalled how in January only a truck could transport people from the taxi rank to the village because taxis could not travel on the road. At his uncle’s funeral earlier this year, relatives from Mokopane were forced to turn back after finding the road impassable.

“We were told the road would be in the 2024/25 budget, but nothing has happened. We feel overlooked compared to other areas,” said Ngoepe.

Tjale told TimesLIVE the road conditions have pushed some families to relocate to towns for better access to schools and health facilities. Others have staged protests and submitted letters of demand to the municipality with no visible change to date.

The provincial government has assured roads in the area will soon be upgraded.

Limpopo public works, roads and infrastructure MEC Tony Rachoene confirmed Schoongezicht is among the villages included in road projects in the Capricorn district.

Speaking at an official contractor handover this week, Rachoene introduced contractors to municipalities within the Capricorn district as part of the province’s roads infrastructure development drive.

The MEC said 21 gravel-to-tar upgrades are planned for the district.

The projects include the upgrading of gravel roads to tar in the network linking Blouberg, Polokwane and Molemole and the upgrading of 5km from gravel to tar linking Ga-Moleele, Schoongezicht, Ga-Dikgale and Uitkyk.

“The road construction initiatives will enhance connectivity within the district and create job opportunities for local communities,” said Rachoene.

“We will ensure the projects meet the needs of residents and the benefits are widely felt.”

He urged contractors to engage with local communities and deliver work of high quality, adding road infrastructure is a provincial priority to “uplift communities and drive sustainable development.”

TimesLIVE