Transport Minister, Honourable Dipuo Peters will officially launch the “Operation Tselantle” road infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation programme in Mahikeng, North West province.
The initiative, which will be rolled out throughout the country is targeted at eradicating potholes and rehabilitating and maintaining road infrastructure in the provinces.
The official launch forms part of government’s delivery of key infrastructure, which has high economic influence and benefits for the Republic.
As part of the Department of Transport’s mandate to promote non-motorised transport and to facilitate access to non-motorised transport for learners who walk long distances to and from school, Minister Peters will also distribute around one hundred (100) bicycles to learners from some of the surrounding areas in Mahikeng during the official launch.
Minister Peters will be joined during the official launch by the North West MEC for Public Works and Roads, Honourable Madoda Sambatha, the North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management Honourable Gaoge Molapisi as well as senior national, provincial and Municipal officials and key transport stakeholders, members of the community and the media.
The details of the official launch of Operation Tselantle and distribution of bicycles are as follows:
Date: Friday, 11 July 2014.
Venue: Signal Hill Primary School, Signal Hill Village (Mahikeng)
Time: 10h00
All media are invited to attend. Journalists attending the event are requested to confirm attendance with Motlatsi Lebea on 073 323 9333 or via e-mail on Monarens@dot.gov.za
Additional notes for editors
Launch of pothole eradication and road infrastructure rehabilitation and maintenance “Operation Tselantle” in the North West province through the S’hamba Sonke Programme
Based on the current status of the road network which is generally not in good condition, particularly on municipal roads due to an escalation in road infrastructure deterioration, the Department of Transport has initiated an integrated, five-year (2014/19) “Operation Tselantle” programme and campaign to address the deterioration of road infrastructure, maintenance backlogs and rehabilitation.
Roads authorities face challenges in respect of potholes. The South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) is responsible for the national roads in the provinces while provincial and local departments are responsible for provincial and municipal roads.
In order to address this current status of the road network, the department has developed an integrated approach that will incorporate plans for all roads authorities and will also work closely with provinces and municipalities in eradicating potholes and addressing road infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation nationally.
The most affected roads portions are in the municipal networks, and often lack of funding stands out as the main reason for the deterioration of the network. The integrated plan will incorporate inputs from relevant role players. Provinces will be encouraged to utilise 40% of their Provincial Road Management Grant (PRMG) on pothole eradication and road infrastructure rehabilitation and maintenance as part of “Operation Tselantle” through the road maintenance programme.
The “Operation Tselantle” project will facilitate the creation of significant numbers of new jobs that will benefit the youth, women and small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) development as a key priority of the intervention, will strengthen the delivery of basic services and will also support the integration of services that will assist in unlocking the province`s economic potential.
The national and provincial departments will utilise the S`hamba Sonke Programme (SSP) to implement the pothole eradication initiative.
