Long-awaited road work starts

RESIDENTS of Shihosani village, outside Malamulele in Limpopo, will soon be able to use the main road which was destroyed by heavy rains 10 years ago

Road construction material and equipment were yesterday delivered, signalling the beginning of the long-awaited reconstruction work.

Local headman Judas Chauke was sceptical about the project.

On five occasions machinery had been brought to the area and then ferried away without any explanation.

Chauke's excitement had turned into sadness a day after the local government elections when a grader and other machinery were taken away from his home.

"I had gone to the tribal offices in the morning and all was normal. When I returned home later I found that the grader, the trucks and one of the loading machine were no longer in my yard," he said.

Chauke said the villagers felt cheated because the move on the eve of Election Day gave the impression that the project was under way again.

Explaining the earlier withdrawals from the project, roads and transport manager in Vhembe district, Ephraim Mun'wana, said they had withdrawn the vehicles as there were urgent projects to be attended to in Dzimahuli and Tshilafhesa.

Mahuhu Chauke from Vhembe district offices yesterday said this time around they would finish the job.