A decision meant to spare residents the pain of displacement has instead reopened emotional wounds for some villagers of Mathathane, following government’s cancellation of a road construction tender that would have cut through homes and ploughing fields. Government recently cancelled the works contract for the proposed 30-kilometre Mathathane–Platjan Border Post road and opted instead to upgrade the existing 27-kilometre gravel road from Lekkerpoet Junction to Plaatjan Border Post to bitumen standard. The revised plan avoids ploughing fields and homesteads and expands development into a wider road network across Bobirwa.
While the move was intended to minimise disruption, observations and community feedback indicate that some residents remain angry, confused and disappointed, having already prepared for relocation and compensation. Speaking during a community meeting addressed by the Minister for State President, Defence and Security, Mr Moeti Mohwasa, residents said they had been psychologically and financially affected by the sudden policy shift. Some villagers had already begun relocating fences and other assets, while others had abandoned farming in anticipation of compensation.
A resident, Mr Tshenyo Madema, argued that Mathathane residents should have been consulted first before the decision was taken. Mr Madema said government ought to have engaged the village more deeply and compassionately, adding that while the expanded road network would benefit Bobirwa at large, Mathathane bore the brunt of the emotional cost. He further argued that the proposed Talana Farms–Sherwood road would not impact as many lives as the cancelled Mathathane–Platjan road, though he acknowledged the broader benefits of the new network.
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Echoing similar sentiments, Mr John Monekwe said he had already moved his fence and other structures after officials from the Special Economic Zones Authority (SPEDU) marked sections of his ploughing field to be affected. “I engaged workers whom I intended to pay using compensation funds from government,” he said, adding that he had since abandoned farming after his land was earmarked for the project. However, not all residents rejected the revised plan outright.
Mr Mmotana Tshebedi welcomed the wider road network but insisted that government should still honour the original Mathathane–Platjan road, arguing that its designs were already complete. Like others, Mr Tshebedi believed the P357 million European Union funding was specifically allocated for the Mathathane–Platjan road and urged government to source alternative funds for the additional routes. In response, Minister Mohwasa called for mutual respect despite differences and explained that the decision was taken to ensure development reached a wider population. He said communities such as Motlhabaneng and Mabolwe also deserved improved road access to uplift livelihoods and ease transportation challenges.
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