Sekoto road repair underway

By Emily Setona

QWAQWA – Sekoto Road, which is part of the R57 has collapsed and its rehabilitation is underway after the provincial government identified the road as a priority for the rehabilitation project scheduled to take place in MAP.

This road is a major transport artery for areas such as Thabong and Tsheseng in Maluti-a-Phofung (MAP), and after an oversight visit by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to Sekoto Road, on 18 October 2023, the political party filed questions with the Provincial Government, and the rehabilitation of the road is now in progress.

“During recent visits to the Sekoto Road collapse site, it came to our attention that Phase 1 of the rehabilitation of Sekoto Road is now underway. The collapse of this road had raised concerns that surrounding areas would be cut off from essential services, service delivery and basic activities such as travelling to places of work and shopping centres.

“The DA welcomes the rehabilitation of Sekoto Road, but we remain concerned about the process that has been followed to secure contractors for the project. Questions will be raised with the Provincial Legislature on the process that was followed in the appointment of contractors, the scope of work for Phase 1 and 2 of the projects, as well as the cost and duration of the project,” the DA’s Bea Campbell Cloete told the media.

Free State MEC of the department of Community Safety, Roads, and transport Maqueen Letsoha-Mathae has since embarked on a social facilitation programme in the community of MAP, which saw people being employed through a raffle system for a road rehabilitation project that is scheduled to take approximately 30 months.

Sekoto road construction underway.

“The provincial government has realized that the roads in Maluti-a-Phofung haven’t been properly maintained and need to be repaired. There is a need to fix the roads in Qwaqwa because the road infrastructure in this community is in serious need of rehabilitation.”

Sekoto Road forms part of the seven primary roads that the provincial government has earmarked for rehabilitation in MAP.