20 Apr 2026

Residents of Mahetlwe have been told that government is exploring alternative cost effective methods of road construction such as soil stabilisation technology.

Addressing a Kgotla meeting on Thursday, Assistant Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Mr Keoagile Atamelang indicated that the said technology has been used successfully to improve roads connectivity in South Africa, Namibia and Congo.

He said such roads constructed using the soil stabilisation technology have a lifespan of 15 years, without grading or major maintenance. 

Mr Atamelang said a road constructed using the said technology would cost about P300 000 per kilometer compared with bitumen use, with an estimated cost of around P9 million for the same distance.

In addition, he said the country has a distance of gravel roads connecting villages covering a total distance of about 10 500 kilometers.

Even though the plan was to improve the said gravel roads, ahe said it would be expensive to use bitumen, therefore soil stabilisation technology would be cost effective. 

Mr Atamelang added that experts were conducting soil surveys as part of efforts to implement such modern solutions.

Therefore, he urged the residents to remain patient and hopeful as funds permitting, government would deliver on its promise.

He said despite the challenging fiscal environment, government remained committed to its ambition to transform the nation.

Mr Atamelang said the envisaged development and improvement of road networks included the gravel roads linking Mahetlwe with Molepolole, Hatsalatladi, Lentsweletau and Medie which were in dire need for maintenance. 

He said government was taking into account their plea for the said roads to be improved to bitumen standards.

Kgosi Mopati Motsatsi has indicated that Mahetlwe served as a conduit to Hatsalatladi, Molepolole, Medie and Lentsweletau villages.

He said the community has long been promised a tarred road since 2008. 

Despite the delay, he said the community remained patient and hopeful that the challenging roads connecting the village to other parts of the district would be improved in the near future.

Kgosi Motsatsi said the situation was a nightmare during the rainy season, as the community of Mahetlwe was at times trapped as all exist roads were flood plains, making it difficult to travel.

While patiently waiting for the road surface to be improved, Kgosi Motsatsi has appealed to government to urgently grade the road. ENDS