This was revealed by the transport minister, Fikile Mbabula, during his 2019/20 budget speech in Parliament on Tuesday 9 July 2019. Mangaung Metro Municipality in the Free State, which includes Bloemfontein, and Rustenburg in North West are amongst cities such as eThekwini and Mbombela set to carry out these projects. This despite recent challenges faced by Mangaung Hauweng and Rustenburg Rapid Transport (RRT) System. Mbalula says billions of rands have been invested in the implementation of IPTNs and the Taxi Recapitalisation Programme.

He says that during the course of this year, new phases of the IPTN will be coming on-stream with buses operating in the said areas. The multimillion-rand construction of the RRT system was recently temporarily ground to a halt after the concrete roof of a station collapsed. eNCA previously reported that Rustenburg has earmarked over R2 billion to revive its integrated public transport system. It further reported that the project has been mired in controversy after the municipality ended its contract with the previous service provider due to underperformance.

OFM News previously reported that Foko Motlatsi Phillimon (FMP) contractors have dragged Mangaung Metro to court over its and other local businesses alleged exclusion from the metro’s IPTN Hauweng project. In June 2019, members of the Mangaung Business Transformation Umbrella (Mabtu), of which FMP is a member, occupied the front entrance to the building holding up placards expressing their discontentment with the municipality.

Mabtu Chairperson, Mzwandile Phaphu, told OFM News that they are angry because the Metro is awarding tenders to contractors from outside the province when there are capable companies locally. Phaphu said a number of local companies have high Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) gradings, including FMP and Black Civils, and he feels they should have been given an opportunity to be part of the project.

OFM News