Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma on Friday reassured Mpumalanga residents that government would deliver to them necessary services and infrastructure to improve their livelihoods.
He said the delivery of these services would begin with the upgrading of the deadly Moloto road and the building of water reservoirs.
Zuma was speaking on Friday during a visit in Kwaggafontein, in the Thembisile Hani Local Municipality in Mpumalanga as part of the Siyahlola Presidential Monitoring Programme.
Zuma said the upgrades to the Moloto road were well on schedule and would begin in earnest soon.
“The work will begin in September, beginning with the 25km to develop the critical road infrastructure where most accidents occur. Moloto Road Project will improve the delivery of products and services in this area,” Zuma said.
The 160km stretch of Moloto road runs through the three provinces and carries more than 150 000 commuters daily, most of them heading to and from work in Pretoria.
Statistics from the period of January 2012 to May 2014 showed that there 489 crashes on Moloto Road, resulting in 158 fatalities and 594 serious injuries.
During the sod-turning ceremony at the KwaMhlanga showground on Monday, Transport minister Dipuo Peters announced a R3.7 billion project to upgrade the road over the next five years, scheduled to begin in September.
The upgrades, which would to be completed in the next five to 10 years, would cover at least 139km of the 160km stretch of Moloto Road.
Zuma told the people of KwaMhlanga that their cries had been heard.
“Your cries have been heard. We have also taken note of the high unemployment and poverty in the area but we are trying to deal with that,” Zuma said.
“Through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), more than 1,000 people get to work twice a week, and another 3 400 have benefited from the programme.”
Zuma had earlier done a walk-about in the municipality to assess three projects which were being rolled out to its residents.
The projects included the new reservoir and pipeline at KwaMhlanga, which entails the addition of infrastructure such as bulk pipe line and concrete chambers with flow meters and control valves.
Another project was the rehabilitation of two boreholes at KwaMhlanga Hospital, which entails installation of two pumps with pipeline, supply and installation of panels and re-connection to existing tanks at the hospital.
“I know water scarcity is a problem in this area. I am happy to announce the construction of a new reservoir and pipeline in KwaMhlanga to provide a steady supply of water to the areas in Kwaggarfontein,” Zuma said.
Zuma also handed over three houses to families who had been living in shacks.
Zuma was accompanied by various cabinet minister and deputy ministers, including the Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe; Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs David van Rooyen and Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters.
African News Agency