9 October 2013
President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday unveiled the newly built R81 road linking the city of Polokwane and the rural town of Giyani in Limpopo province.
Zuma said the government had invested R245-million in the construction of R81, which would make it quicker and easier to move people and goods between Polokwane and Giyani, which is not far from the Kruger National Park.
Construction of the 61.5-kilometre stretch of road started in September 2010 and was completed in July this year, creating 455 jobs in the process.
Zuma said he was also pleased with progress in the construction of the new R71 road between Polokwane and Tzaneen, the province’s second-largest town.
“A broader road will be more passable and will lessen accidents, especially as we know that this road is used by a lot of the members of the Zion Christian Church in their pilgrimages to the church,” he said.
The R71 leads to the Kruger National Park via the Phalaborwa gate, and will therefore allow for easier travel to tourist destinations in the province.
The President said the government had prioritised the development of infrastructure to boost inclusive economic growth, create jobs and improve the living and working conditions of South Africans.
“We want to create infrastructure that makes life easy everywhere, not just in the big cities. That is why we’ve upgraded roads here in Limpopo and in other parts of the country.
South Africa spends about R10-billion to service and re-tar roads each year. To build one kilometre of new tarred road can cost up to R25-million.
Source: SAnews.gov.za
