Limpopo Premier’s plan to create jobs through Dikgerekgere Project

Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba has set aside 300 jobs for local unemployed young men and women to maintain and repair roads in the province’s five regions for the next five years.

The Dikgerekgere service delivery was launched on Wednesday,10th of July 2024. This is a programme initiated by the Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure under the leadership of MEC Tonny Rachoene.

The programme’s aim, according to the Premier Dr. Phophi Ramathuba, is to create jobs in the province, mainly for young graduates who have failed to get jobs in the mainstream economy.

“We are currently sitting with 20 000km of roads ,of which 6 263km are tarred or paved. The biggest problem with our roads is that they are not being maintained. “She said she wanted “no nepotism ,no regionalism and no cadre deployment”. “We want free and fair employment processes, “she said.

Gone are the days of advertising tenders to fix a window or grade the roads because we have many students and EPW programmes that can perform those functions without extra cost, according to MEC Tonny Rachoene.

On the 12th of July 2024,two days after the launch of the Dikgerekgere Wednesday, 300 jobs were advertised including posts for cleaners, machine drivers and other general work that will enhance the Dikgerekgere Wednesdays’ team with more warm bodies for the sustainable tenure of the 7th administration term of five years.

Majority of the roads in the province are gravel, and thus the Dikgerekgere Wednesdays’ project aims to revitalize the road infrastructure by blading, re-gravelling and de-bushing to promote safer roads for all users. This will be maintained without seeking the normal three quotation since the department will be using its own machinery with more than 20 drivers and assistant drivers.

“All these machines belong to the department and will be put to good use. The project will not end here in Lephalale, we are going to launch it at all our districts so that. From now on, every Wednesdays until the end of this administration term, dust must be seen in these streets as machineries and people will be working to re-construct roads. With good maintained roads, there is a free flow of movement from clinics, schools and towns,” detailed Dr. Ramathuba. EC