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Numerous stumbling blocks hindering the upgrading and development of the Bulembo road were resolved last week, after the project seemed to be heading nowhere.
On Friday December 2 the provincial legislator appropriated R10 million towards the multi-million-rand project.
It was initiated by the Barberton Business Chamber which envisages developing the area as a unique tourist destination utilising the biodiversity, heritage, cultural and archaeological resource base shared by South Africa and Swaziland. The aim is to establish an economic corridor where tourism-led developments were the primary activities.
The project entailed the upgrading of the dirt road with concrete block paving and it would create 300 job opportunities.
The department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (Deat) approved the project and a provisional R20 million grant was secured. It was approved on the basis that the department of Roads and Transport would fund the outstanding amount, which at that time was calculated to be R20 million.
This is where the problems started according to a strongly worded letter written by a local resident, Edwin Sturgeon to the MEC for Roads and Transport, Fish Mahlalela.
In the letter he accused the MEC, who is a Barberton resident of jeopardising the project. Copies of the letter were also forwarded to Barberton Times, the Premier of Mpumalanga, Thabang Makwetla, and other high-ranking political officials.
According to Edwin the MEC has taken an “obstructive stance against a wonderful project with a disregard for job creation”.
Letters from the department of Roads and Transport, in the possession of the Barberton Times, reveal that the department committed itself to the project on January 10, 2002. The department then withdrew from the project on February 17, 2003 on grounds of not having funds available and also cited the low traffic volume on the road. Yet on August 17, 2004 the department recommitted itself through granting funding of R50 million over a three-year period.
In correspondence to the department during March 2005, Deat expressed its concern for the “sudden lack of communication and progress” towards the confirmation of funding.
Sturgeon also claimed that an associate of the MEC, James Nkambule, a Barberton businessman has directly or indirectly been awarded monies related to a road project between Belfast and Lydenburg.
“Hopefully this didn’t come from the cancelled Bulembo Road project?” he wrote.
The MEC denied all the allegations made against him or his department in a telephone conversation with the Barberton Times. He said that Edwin could not speak on behalf of the community, as he was not mandated to do so. “The community does not even know about the project,” he said.
When asked what happened to the R50 million budgeted for the Bulembo Road, the Mahlalela explained that it was not readily available, and that provisional funds still had to be appropriated by legislature.
“From time to time re-prioritisation in the department necessitates the adjustments of budgets,” Mahlalela said. The legislature approved R10 million towards the project available until March next year. The provisional figures for the following two years were R20 million respectively and still had to be approved.
Regarding Nkambule, Mahlalela told Barberton Times that he has no authority to intervene in the granting of tenders.
According to his spokesman, Mongani Phakathi, the MEC did not officially respond to individuals.
Phakathi told Barberton Times that the Bulembo Road project would definitely go ahead and as the money had been budgeted.
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