Funds available to fix roads – Minister of Public Works

By Khulile Thwala

The Minister of Public Works and Transport Chief Ndlaluhlaza Ndwandwe has assured the nation that the ministry will deliver on its mandate of rehabilitating damaged roads following the recent rains which left most roads around the country damaged and unusable.

The minister indicated that since the issue of damaged roads was an emergency seeing as some people and schoolchildren were unable to commute to and fro, there were funds specifically allocated for such emergencies and they would fast-track the process of rehabilitating and further fixing damaged roads in identified areas.

“We will be meeting with the relevant department to ascertain the amount to be allocated for the job. We are aware that the current financial year is almost over, however, this is an emergency, hence, the ministry is determined to ensure the roads are fixed,” said Ndwandwe.

The minister was speaking following Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini’s tour of the roads that were heavily flooded and damaged as a result of the recent rains. The PM made an undertaking that government will promptly attend to all road failures caused by the ongoing rains.

The PM made this commitment when he assessed the damaged Armco culvert along the Maphiveni – Tshaneni (MR24) road.

“The damages pose great danger to the nation, therefore we must work around the clock to assess the damage countrywide and plan how we will repair the damages. This damage is the greatest one of those reported and the Ministry of Public Works will start on the works as soon as possible,” said the Prime Minister.