Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga, on February 5, inspected the R1.1-billion upgrade of the R23 regional road in Standerton, Mpumalanga, as well as the implementation of the Vala Zonke campaign to repair potholes.

“As government, we recognise that good roads help to grow the economy and that is why we are spending billions of rands to improve our infrastructure and build new roads to move people and goods.”

She expressed confidence in the quality of the R23 upgrade work undertaken by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) and said the upgrade would contribute to economic growth.

“When people leave the R23, they must then also find roads that are trafficable, so that investors will want to come to Standerton and set up businesses here and create jobs for our people,” she added.

“No investor will want to invest in a country which does not have good roads, and the Vala Zonke campaign aims to ensure that our roads are repaired and maintained,” said Chikunga.

“If taxis cannot transport people to work using good roads, then people will not get to work and companies will not be productive and the economy will not grow. This is why we were fixing potholes here in Standerton today, and also inspecting the R23, which was upgraded by Sanral,” she said.

Sanral is leading the Vala Zonke War Room with central management and technical support to repair potholes across the country. The implementation of the Vala Zonke campaign in Standerton was a pilot project, which would be rolled out going forward, Sanral CEO Reginald Demana said.

“This project demonstrates what we always intended with Operation Vala Zonke. It is a collaborative effort between all the different levels of government, and Sanral is providing the necessary technical support with its skills and resources,” he said.

The use of nanotechnology as an international standard has aided improved road maintenance in the Vala Zonke campaign, he added.

In Standerton, the Vale Zonke campaign is a collaboration with the municipality and the provincial government. Sanral is assisting with the materials to ensure they are the right product, as well as making sure that the quality of the work that is done and the level of compaction is up to standard.

“This is to make sure that we do not need to come back here when the first rains come to make sure potholes do not reopen. The campaign shows what is possible if we work together to end this serious challenge we have with potholes across the country,” said Demana.

“The upgrade of the R23 showcases the talent of our engineers and tells the world and all South Africans about the engineering excellence that we have in our country. We are celebrating this while rising to the challenge of potholes,” Chikunga said.