The construction of the Dagwi (4.5-kilometre) and Changate (10-kilometre) feeder roads in the Tutume District is back on track after a long halt due to challenges faced by the contractor, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has revealed.
Principal Public Relations Officer in the Department of Road Infrastructure development and Infrastructure Maintenance, Moemedi Matsoga, in response to an enquiry from this publication this week, said the contractor, Lobkom Investments (Pty) Ltd, faced challenges from abnormal rainfall between December 2025 and March 2026, which affected construction progress. Matsoga added that delays in the submission of designs for the Dagwi and Changate access roads also stalled the resumption of the project.
Additionally, he stated that some of the contractor’s equipment is currently out of service, with two graders and two tipper trucks reported to be broken down. According to him, the contractor has committed to having the equipment repaired by today, August 28, 2026. This is expected to enable the contractor to resume work on the Changate road, while work on the Dagwi road is already ongoing.
“At Dagwi, 1.7 km are ready for priming and ultimately surfacing,” Matsoga said.
The contractor also encountered an unanticipated high-water table, particularly along the Tutume–Maitengwe road.
“Encounters with a high-water table (underground water) which was not anticipated, especially along the Tutume–Maitengwe road, where the contractor has ripped some sections to do reconstruction,” Matsoga explained.
The upgrading of these two roads to bitumen standard is part of a bigger project covering the resealing, overlay, and erosion protection work of a 51-kilometre section of the Tutume–Maitengwe road. While the project took off in October 2025, an abrupt halt had left residents confused about its status.
But Matsoga is adamant that residents and village authorities were being kept informed through their respective councillors and Village Development Committees, which receive updates through full council and stakeholder meetings.
The project officially commenced on October 25, 2024, and was initially scheduled for completion on April 24, 2026; however, construction has continued beyond the original deadline.
The project has a total contract value of P221,975,595.03 and comprises three main components: Dagwi road access construction, Changate road access construction, and maintenance works on the Tutume–Maitengwe road.
The Dagwi and Changate works include upgrading the two access roads to bitumen standard, environmental impact assessment work for borrow pits, site establishment, Kgotla parking, earthworks, culvert construction, double-seal road surfacing, stormwater drainage, and the relocation of services.
The Tutume–Maitengwe component includes asphalt overlaying and reconstruction of a 25-kilometre section, reconstruction of 5.7 kilometres of badly damaged road sections, and reconstruction of the 1.1-kilometre Maitengwe border gate access. Other works involve concrete head and wing walls, construction of a cattle grid at 33+000, pothole patching, edge repairs, resealing of five kilometres at Maitengwe village, drainage maintenance, and road marking.
On whether the contractor could face penalties over the delays, Matsoga said the contract contains provisions allowing the government, through the client or engineer, to institute penalties or eventually take legal action if the project goes beyond the revised completion period.
With the rainy season approaching, Matsoga said provisional access roads and bypasses are being provided to maintain access for motorists and residents. He noted that the bypasses are regularly graded and subjected to dust suppression, with grading carried out twice a month and watering for dust suppression done twice a day to maintain access while construction continues.
