Protesters shut down Elim over pothole-ridden D4 road

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28-02-2025
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Zoutnet
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Businesses in Elim, including major shopping centres and nine schools, were forced to shut down on Tuesday as hundreds of frustrated residents blocked roads in a mass protest over the deteriorating D4 road linking Elim to the N1.

Led by Vleifontein residents, the demonstration began early in the morning and lasted until noon, disrupting hawkers, workers, shoppers, and learners. Protesters used large tree branches to block the road, allowing only health-care workers and those needing urgent medical care to pass. Villagers from Ha-Maila, Tshabalala, and Elim later joined the demonstration.

Residents accused Limpopo’s Department of Public Works, Roads, and Infrastructure of years of unfulfilled promises. Their frustration was exacerbated by MEC Ernest Rachoene’s visit on 6 January, during which he joined workers in patching potholes - a move protesters saw as a temporary fix rather than a long-term solution.

“The road is in terrible condition, due to heavy rains, creating numerous potholes. Just last week, a food delivery truck was stuck for an entire day before reaching the school,” said Regina Mufamadi, a Masindi Primary school-governing-body member. She also raised concerns about the shutdown’s impact on education.

According to the 2021/22 annual performance plan of the Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL), R46 million was allocated for maintaining the D4 road from Elim to Malamulele. However, residents argue that merely patching potholes has left the road nearly impassable, causing frequent vehicle damage. The 100 km stretch, built in 2006, connects the N1 to Malamulele via Elim and Vuwani but has deteriorated significantly.

Local businesses say the poor road conditions are hurting their livelihood. “They must rebuild the road up to the N1, so cars can use it properly,” said 58-year-old hawker Roina Ngobeni. She added that vehicles now take an alternative route via Louis Trichardt, limiting her ability to restock.

Beatrice Nkhumeleni, an employee at Boxer Supermarket, said she supported the protest despite losing working hours. “As public transport users, we face daily risks. Some people lose their lives because of potholes, while others arrive late for work,” she said.

Elim Mall and surrounding businesses, including hardware stores and spaza shops, reopened at midday after community leaders and RAL officials held a meeting.

Amelia Baloyi of the Tshitale Taxi Association said the poor roads were causing daily vehicle breakdowns, pushing taxi owners into financial distress because of high repair costs and bank repossessions. “Even new vehicles deteriorate quickly because of these roads,” she said, calling for urgent intervention.

Wiseman Ramalwa, an EFF councillor in Makhado Municipality and one of the protest organisers, said the community had resorted to road blockades after their concerns had been ignored. He noted that while 79.8 km of the 100 km project had been completed since late 2022, the remaining 20.2 km - directly affecting their area - was still unfinished.

“Officials requested 12 hours to assess the situation and promised to return at 08:00 on Wednesday with a solution. Future actions will depend on that meeting’s outcome,” he said.

RAL’s communications manager, Luyanda Sithole, said the department had started patching potholes through the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure and had requested assistance from the department to blade sections of the road as well, ensuring a safe bypass for public access.

“Due to budgetary constraints, the 100km road project has been divided into phases. As additional budget allocations are received, RAL will proceed with completing the remaining sections. In the interim, Public Works will continue patching potholes and creating bypasses to maintain safe access,” she said.

She clarified that the R46 million allocated in the 2021/22 Annual Performance Plan (APP) was utilized to complete Phases 1 and 2, covering 46km of the road. “However, with the total road spanning over 100km, an additional 54km remains unfinished, and there is currently no budget allocated for its completion,” she said.