Limpopo Premier Dr. Phophi Ramathuba, Minister of Energy and Petroleum Resources Mr. Gwede Mantashe in conjunction with Road Agency Limpopo (RAL) have officially opened state-of-the-art landmark steel bridge at Ga-Malekane, Greater Tubatse Local Municipality, on Friday 8 May 2026. <\/p>\n
The historic Steelpoort Bridge, originally constructed in 1926 and now approaching a century of existence, stands as a symbol of resilience and connectivity for the people of Limpopo.<\/p>\n
The official opening of the double-lane bridge comes at a time when the South African government cabinet approved the licensing of the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Special Economic Zone (SEZ), describing it as a historic milestone that will accelerate industrialization, economic growth and job creations in Limpopo.
\nLocated on D2219, the newly opened state-of-the-arts bridge replaces a narrow single-lane bridge built over a century ago to connect towns such as Groblersdal, Burgersfort and Jane Furse. <\/p>\n
Prior to the construction of a double-lane bridge, vehicles used to wait patiently for the oncoming (vehicles) crossing to the opposite direction to pass before their turn to traverse to the other side which resulted in heavy traffic congestion severely affecting businesses, staff and scholar transport in the area. <\/p>\n
The double-lane bridge is wide enough for two vehicles to pass freely, safely and with dignity, which represents a symbol of a government that listens, a private sector that responds and a community that never stopped believing that under the 7th administration, better days would come.<\/p>\n
It will, amongst others, improve safety, resolve traffic congestion and enable a flourishing economy in and around Tubatse.<\/p>\n
The historic 1925 bridge is slated to be refurbished and repurposed exclusively for pedestrian use alongside the new vehicular bridge. <\/p>\n
Construction was funded by local mining companies as part of their Social and Labor Plan (SLP) commitments, managed through RAL. <\/p>\n
Eight mining houses which saw this successful project are Dwarsrivier Chrome Mine, Rakhoma Mineral Resources, Glencore, Rustenburg Platinum Mines, Two Rivers Platinum, Samancor Chrome, Tjate Platinum Mine and Boysendaal Platinum respectively. <\/p>\n
All these mines spent a sum of R127million on this project which began three years ago.
\nLocal residents benefited from this project since it was launched on 21 February 2023 as it provided jobs and training while supporting small businesses in the Sekhukhune region. <\/p>\n
Dr. Ramathuba reckons that the official opening of the Steelpoort Steel Bridge marks hope restored, lives improved and opportunities unlocked.
\n\u201cRoads and bridges are not just physical structures, they are economic arteries that connect people to schools, healthcare facilities, workplaces, businesses and social opportunities. They carry the dreams of communities and the future of our province.\u201d Dr. Ramathuba said
\nPremier Ramathuba further emphasized that this is the kind of development Limpopo needs, a development that create jobs, empowers local businesses, strengthening communities and restoring dignity to the people. <\/p>\n
She has also urged the residents of Ga-Malikane and surrounding villages to protect the bridge from vandalism and criminal activities. <\/p>\n
\u201cPublic infrastructure is a community asset, built with public resources for the benefit of present and future generations. Let us become its guardians and preserve it with pride.\u201d Dr. Ramathuba added <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Minister Mantashe heaped praises on the mining institutions that contributed to the success of the construction of the bridge. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think all the praises and vote of thanks must go to these mining companies. We must appreciate the impact they have on society. All I did was to request them to do a big project for us, not a small one. I requested them to put their resources together and do something that\u2019ll contribute to the better life of our people, and this bridge is a living example of that.\u201d Said Mantashe <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Limpopo Premier Dr. Phophi Ramathuba, Minister of Energy and Petroleum Resources Mr. Gwede Mantashe in conjunction with Road Agency Limpopo (RAL) have officially opened state-of-the-art landmark steel bridge at Ga-Malekane, Greater Tubatse Local Municipality, on Friday 8 May 2026. The historic Steelpoort Bridge, originally constructed in 1926 and now approaching a century of existence, stands as a symbol of resilience and connectivity for the people of Limpopo. The official opening of the double-lane bridge comes at a time when the South African government cabinet approved the licensing of the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Special Economic Zone (SEZ), describing it as a historic milestone\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[12],"tags":[],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":4}},"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":"","bsk-pdf-dashboard-list-thumbnail":""},"post_excerpt_stackable":"
Limpopo Premier Dr. Phophi Ramathuba, Minister of Energy and Petroleum Resources Mr. Gwede Mantashe in conjunction with Road Agency Limpopo (RAL) have officially opened state-of-the-art landmark steel bridge at Ga-Malekane, Greater Tubatse Local Municipality, on Friday 8 May 2026. The historic Steelpoort Bridge, originally constructed in 1926 and now approaching a century of existence, stands as a symbol of resilience and connectivity for the people of Limpopo. The official opening of the double-lane bridge comes at a time when the South African government cabinet approved the licensing of the Fetakgomo-Tubatse Special Economic Zone (SEZ), describing it as a historic milestone…<\/p>\n","category_list":"News<\/a>","author_info":{"name":"Maano Nekhavhambe","url":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/?author=7"},"comments_num":"0 comments","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9099"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9099"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9100,"href":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9099\/revisions\/9100"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.limpopo.gov.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}