25 Aug 2024

The Ministry of Transport and Public Works has given Aggre Holdings up to August 28 to have completed the Tsetsebjwe-Moletemane Road project.

Answering a question in Parliament, Minister Molale said Aggre Holding was awarded the project at a cost of over P45.9 million and started work on June 17, 2019 for a duration of 12 months.

He said the Moletemane access road measured 19km and a total length of 17.5km had been block paved leaving a balance of 1.5km still to be paved.

He added that the earthworks for the entire 19km had been completed and the project was currently 94 per cent complete.

Nevertheless, Minister Molale said the contractor’s performance in the project had not been satisfactory despite issuance of caution by the ministry.

He said the ministry had delayed to terminate the project looking at the amount of work remaining.

The minister added that lack of significant progress was a major concern, considering the ministry’s assistance in timely payments of invoices and approval of direct payments to suppliers.

“After careful consideration of the project status and notices written to the contractor to caution against poor performance, my ministry has taken a decision to allow the contractor to have the project completed by August 28 failing which termination process will be instigated,” he said.

On one hand, he said the ministry was currently running a tender of dry grading, culverts maintenance, drifts installation and spot Improvement of the Motlhabaneng turn-off to Pont Drift Road via Lentswelemoriti Road at 59.1km.

To that end, he said the tender was currently under evaluation and the procurement process was expected to be completed by end of this month.

The Minister added that while the procurement process progressed, the ministry would continue to use in-house grading team, which last graded the road in June 2024 and had plans to grade the road in September if further delay was experienced in procurement.

Concerning the progress report for Bobonong-Lepokole road, Minister Molale said the ministry was currently running a tender for dry grading, spot improvement, drift installation and culvert repair along the Lepokole turn off-Robelela Road  which is 68km.

He said to that end, the tender was currently under evaluation and the procurement process was also expected to be completed by end of this month.

He added that as the procurement process progresses, the ministry would also continue to use its in-house grading team, which last graded the road in March and planned to grade the road from August 20.

Member of Parliament for Bobonong, Mr Taolo Lucas had asked the minister to give an update on progress for Tsetsebjwe-Moletemane Road project, Mathathane-Mothabaneng-Pont Drift Road and Bobonong-Lepokole road. ENDS