The DA has written to the Eastern Cape government seeking urgent intervention to address the hazardous dust pollution, deteriorating road infrastructure, and economic decline in Middelburg in the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality (IYM). The crisis stems from the stalled Middelburg Weighbridge project, abandoned since May 2024, which remains unresolved despite the Eastern Cape MEC for Transport, Xolile Nqatha, promising to intervene three months ago.
What remains of the project is a dilapidated construction site, and the town’s main access route, Meintjies Street, has been rendered so hazardous that it has been closed to the public, severely impacting the local economy.
Despite this, the IYM, responsible for project implementation, remains unresponsive and appears compromised, unable to effectively deliver on its obligations.
In January I wrote to MEC Nqatha to request feedback on various issues including the status of the Weighbridge project and road infrastructure.
I followed up with a member’s statement in the Eastern Cape Legislature in April, after which MEC Nqatha acknowledged the project’s failure and undertook that his department would intervene. However, three months have since passed with no action taken.
Residents of upper Meintjies Street are still plagued by hazardous dust from the construction site, as water trucks previously used to mitigate the dust remain inactive and stalled road resurfacing efforts, promised in January 2025, leave them facing growing health and safety risks.
I have again written to MEC Nqatha and the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Zolile Williams, requesting the following feedback:
- A full and up-to-date status report on the Weighbridge project.
- Details on the water trucks’ last operation, reasons for their absence, and expected return.
- Timeline for grading, repairing, and resurfacing upper Meintjies Street.
- Explanation for the delay in resurfacing, initially promised for January 2025.
- Confirmation on whether progress or challenges have been reported to relevant departments and what support has been offered.
The DA also reiterates our previous demand for an immediate investigation into how the project contractor, Khoza Tradings, secured this contract, verification of the company’s proper registration and full transparency on all payments made. Officials responsible for approving this contract must be held accountable to restore public trust.
The DA will not stand idle as public funds are mismanaged and communities suffer the consequences. We will pursue all available oversight channels, including law enforcement bodies, to uphold public interest and enforce accountability.