Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Jose Coetzee and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng. See attached pictures here, here, here and here.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) Setsoto Caucus conducted an oversight visit to the R708 road project on 20 October 2025, between Marquard and Clocolan, to assess progress and accountability following months of stagnation.
It was once again observed that there is a continued lack of progress on the site, mainly due to insufficient staffing and poor project management.
Throughout the course of this project, we have consistently raised serious concerns and called for urgent intervention.
This included submitting formal questions through the legislature in an effort to prompt action and accountability from the responsible authorities.
It has now been officially confirmed that the contract with the current contractor will be terminated. A new process is set to unfold, aimed at expediting the appointment of a more capable contractor to complete the project.
The DA welcomes this development. It has been evident for some time that the appointed contractor lacked both the necessary capacity and expertise to execute the work successfully.
We will continue to monitor the project closely to ensure that the new contractor is appointed swiftly and that work resumes without further unnecessary delays.
Going forward, we will further closely monitor the new procurement process, including conducting a thorough assessment of the new contractor once appointed.
Continuous oversight will be maintained to ensure that public funds are used responsibly and that the project is completed without further unnecessary delays.
We remain committed to transparency, accountability, and service delivery in the Setsoto Municipality.