The construction of the bridge on the D637 road between the Phasha and Madidi Villages in the Madibeng Local Municipality has finally been completed.

He confirms the bridge was built as part of his department’s Labour Intensive Rural Roads Programme, aimed at improving economic and social conditions of rural communities.

The launch this morning will come just a day after Mbalula made headlines over a series of Tweets directed at the Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) over their march to the ANC headquarters at Luthuli House.

MKMVA president Kebby Maphatsoe and spokesperson Carl Niehaus told the media they are calling for Mbalula's arrests for the damaged railway network, and want to highlight the plight of MK's forgotten freedom fighters, as well as how corruption is plunging the country into greater poverty.

The Madibeng Local Municipality, where the Madidi Bridge will be launched, is among the four North West municipalities that collectively invested R314 million of taxpayers’ money into the now liquidated VBS Mutual Bank.

The Madibeng Local Municipality invested R31 million of their conditional grant, Mahikeng R83 million, of which R23 million was from the municipal infrastructure grant, while R60 million was from the municipal equitable share, the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district municipality invested R150 million of which R100 million was from the regional infrastructure grant (RIG), R25 million from the equitable share and R25 million was from the building fund.

The Moretele Local Municipality on the other hand invested R50 million from the 2017/18 water services infrastructure grant.

The Madibeng Local Municipality and others in the province are listed in the Auditor-General's latest report as among those needing urgent intervention, as more than 50 % of them remain under administration battling to generate revenue, develop infrastructure or provide services to its residents.

Auditor-General Kimi Makwetu in his report indicated that municipalities in this province suffered a great loss from the VBS investment.

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