Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality has injected a total of R15 million to build two paved roads in Nketoane and Mantsopa local municipalities in an effort to boost road infrastructure in the area.

A two-kilometer paved road at Nketoane was built at a tune of R8.9 million and had generated employment for 115 local residents.

The road was handed over to the Nketoane mayor Matshukudu Molapisi on Monday in Lindley, one of the towns of Nketoane. Other towns are Reitz, Arlington, Lindley and Petrus Steyn.

The 1.5 km paved road built in Mantsopa at a cost of R 6.3 million was handed over to the mayor of Mantsopa Sello Ntsepe on Wednesday by the executive mayoress of Thabo Mofutsayana Malefu Vilakazi.

The construction of the road created employment for 33 residents of Mantsopa. Mantsopa comprises the towns of Excelsior, Hobhouse, Ladybrand, Thaba Patchoa and Tweespruit.
Ntsepe said the road had come as an intervention to the economy and had prevented businesses owners from leaving Ladybrand.
“This road is used by people from the industrial areas where there are many factories,” said Ntsepe.

“Some companies were threatening to relocate because their clients from Lesotho were complaining about the poor roads had warned that they will no longer come to the area.
This road has saved our economy. These companies are a major source of our income because they pay for services and taxes,” he said.

Mantsopa municipality also received 150 streets lights for Hobhouse as wells as toilets for Paltberg while the sewage outfall at Thaba Phatchoa was also improved.

The district municipality is also expected to hand-over paved road in Setsoto, Maluti-A- Phofung local municipalities. Phumelela local municipality is set to receive a five mega-litre water reservoir.

Vilakazi has urged community members to treasure and value the development projects that had been implemented in their areas.
“These roads do not belong to the municipality but to the community, therefore it is your responsibility to take care of them,” he said.