Residents of Mavhunga and the surrounding areas are demanding accountability after the contractor in charge of rehabilitating a 3.7-kilometre stretch of the D3669 road, leading from Mavhunga to Phadzima, allegedly abandoned the project.

Work began in June last year, but activities came to a standstill eight months later. The contract, valued at R39 million, was supposed to be completed by June. However, since January, the project has stopped and is estimated to be only 14% complete.

The project steering committee’s spokesperson, Dr Robert Mutshinya, described the situation as “fruitless and wasteful” expenditure. He accused the Road Agency Limpopo (RAL) and the relevant department of “fooling around with the people” and said they should take responsibility for failing to monitor the project.

Mutshinya stated that if RAL and the department acknowledged that they had lost control of the project, they should inform the community, so they could collectively find a way forward. He also called for the MEC for Public Works, Roads, and Infrastructure to investigate what had happened.

The communication manager of RAL, Ms Luyanda Sithole, said the project had experienced an unexpected delay because of unforeseen circumstances that had impacted the contractor's ability to continue with the work. “We are currently addressing these issues. The matter is now under legal review. We appreciate the public’s patience as we work towards resolving this situation,” she said. She added that harsh measures would be taken against any contractor who did not take their job seriously after being awarded a tender.