Pothole project on the brink of collapse due to unpaid invoices

Staff reporter

Bloemfontein – Hardly a month after we published an article about the Pothole Eradication Project (PEP) and two deaths linked to it, the project is now on the brink of collapse due to unpaid invoices.

Sources in the department allege outstanding payment of R148 million is at the centre of what could be a legal battle between the department and Central University of Technology.

A text message purported to be from Repair Holdings to trainees reads as follows supers this.

At least seven sites have closed shop with trainees told not to come to work and it’s “no work no pay” principle.

According to trainees the following sites have are not operational:

• Theunissen
• Welkom
• Bethlehem
• Harrismith
• Qwaqwa
• Bainsvlei
• Sasolburg

In June, employees on the infamous R709 only worked for three days before they were also told not to come to work.

They only returned to work last month after the department paid Tau Pelo Construction following series of articles.

In March. a high court ruled in favor of an applicant after she got involved in an accident due to potholes in R34.

Last month another car with registration of Lesotho was spotte stuck on R708.

Mpho Rasenyalo from Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport didn’t respond to our questions in relation to his intervention.

Isaac from Repair Holdings could not confirm the authenticity of the text.

This is a developing story.

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