RACHOENE AND MPE SET A NEW PACE ON ROADS: #STAKEHOLDERSTUESDAYS DELIVERS ACTION FOR POLOKWANE
- Mpho Dube
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Leadership That Works Hard, Aligns Fast, and Puts Communities First
By Mpho Dube, Editor-in-Chief
The Azanian | Truth. Fearless. Unfiltered.
AZANIAFROCOMEDIA – The Catalyst of Impact
POLOKWANE– Roads will not wait, and neither will leadership. In a decisive start to #StakeholdersTuesdays, the Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure and the City of Polokwane locked in a new tempo for service delivery.
The brief was clear. Unblock bottlenecks, align plans and budgets, and move with speed to fix, maintain and open the routes that communities use daily to get to schools, clinics, work and markets.
The engagement with the Polokwane City delegation was a working session, not a talk shop. Technical teams from both institutions sat together with political leadership to map priority corridors, close gaps between provincial and municipal programmes, and set weekly milestones for delivery.
The instruction was direct. Cut delays in approvals and site handovers. Mobilise contractors faster. Prioritise maintenance before the rains intensify. Target access roads that carry the most people first.
Both leaders are known for working hard, and it showed. The room was run like a delivery war room. Problems were named, solutions were assigned, and dates were set. The message to management was consistent. Move with speed. Prioritise service delivery in roads infrastructure provision. Report back with progress, not excuses. Communities must see tar, gravel and stormwater work on the ground, week after week.
Leading the engagement were MEC Tonny Ernest Rachoene, who also serves as ANC Provincial Spokesperson, and Executive Mayor Councillor John Makoro Mpe, ANC Limpopo Deputy Provincial Chairperson. Their alignment gave the platform political weight and administrative traction.
MEC Rachoene said #StakeholdersTuesdays exists to break silos and turn engagement into implementation. Mayor Mpe said Polokwane City is ready to match that urgency with faster coordination, sharper targeting, and visible accountability on which roads are next and when work starts.
They implored management of both institutions to act now. The focus is on coordination between province and municipality so that projects do not duplicate and gaps do not remain.
It is on speed of implementation so that contractors are on site without unnecessary delay. It is on a maintenance blitz that patches, reseals and clears stormwater before weather closes the window. And it is on community impact, with priority given to routes serving schools, clinics, taxi ranks and SMME hubs.
This is what hard-working leadership looks like. Weekly contact with stakeholders. Clear targets. Public tracking. The department confirmed that technical teams will meet every Tuesday under the #StakeholdersTuesdays banner to account for milestones, budgets and contractor mobilisation. Communities will be updated on the roads scheduled next and the timelines attached.
The context for the session was service delivery. Polokwane is a growing capital with heavy movement of people and goods. Passable, safe and well-maintained roads reduce travel time, lower vehicle costs, protect learners and patients on the move, and open space for small businesses to trade.
When provincial and municipal government move together, potholes are filled faster, reseals are completed on time, and new projects start without avoidable friction.
Both leaders closed the meeting with the same emphasis. This is a delivery mechanism, not a once-off event. Every Tuesday will be used to check what has been done and to unlock what is still pending. For residents of Polokwane, that translates into fewer delays, more completed work, and roads that restore dignity and mobility.
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