The Eastern Cape provincial government has welcomed the completion of largescale infrastructure development projects, including the R483m Ndabakazi Intermodal Interchange, which has changed the face of the Mnquma Local Municipality.
Beyond transforming the movement of the people and logistics in the area, the initiative delivered real socioeconomic returns. The project created 272 jobs, of which 240 benefited residents of Ndabakazi, and 49 black-owned MSMEs secured work packages valued at R180m.
The Elliot to Nqanqarhu, N6 to Dordrecht, Dordrecht to Indwe, Indwe to Nqaqarhu, N2 Mooiplaas to Qumrha, Maletswai to Lady Grey and Lady Grey to Barkly East infrastructure projects are also all completed. During his state of the province address, premier Oscar Mabuyane also revealed that the R58 route from Lady Grey to Telle Bridge was in the planning phase for construction this year.
Working in partnership with the land reform and rural development department, the provincial government also plans to work on the Ibika to Mazeppa Bay road via Tafalofefe as well as the route to the Ncorha Irrigation Scheme. Mabuyane announced that construction work had started at other sites in the past 12 months.
These include the R62 Boundary with Western Cape to Louterwater, R61 All Saints to Baziya Phase 2 valued at R1.5bn, and N2 Lingeni to Msikaba South green field project valued at R2.2bn. He said between now and 2029,
progress would be made in major road works on key routes such as the R72 Port Alfred to East London, R58 Barkly East to Elliot to Khowa, R63 Komga to Qonce, R56 Khowa to Matatiele, R75 Kariega to Graaff-Reinet, and R410 Komani to Lady Frere.
Meanwhile, under Phase 1 of the Welisizwe Bridges Programme, a total of 18 bridges connecting people to villages, schools, clinics and towns were completed. These include the Tebe-Tebe pedestrian bridge, which is now safe for use by the people of eMaxesibeni to cross the Umzimvubu River Phase 2 of the programme to build 18 more bridges in other rural parts of the Eastern Cape has started.
Mabuyane said Transnet s investment programme in the Eastern Cape remained a central pillar of the province s logistics and industrialisation agenda. The Ngqura Liquid Bulk Terminal remains on track. However, the associated Port of Ngqura Liquid Berth A100 has been delayed. The Ngqura Manganese Export Terminal, which the provincial government has described as a nonnegotiable for the minerals/energy future, is progressing through a public sector partnership process.
Mabuyane also welcomed the approval of the budget for the revival of the high-capacity rail corridor between Silverton and Nelson Mandela Bay, which would enable a dedicated automotive rail spine and unlock billions of rand in GDP and thousands of jobs once it was fully implemented.
This would reinforce the argument that Transnet s rail and port investments were catalytic levers in building the Eastern Cape as a gateway to Africa and the world. Mabuyane said the 3.4-trillion cubic feet of gas discovered by TotalEnergies, Mainstreet and other joint venture partners in 2019 and 2020 confirmed the province s potential for offshore prospecting.
The amount of gas found already could provide feedstock to the Mossel Bay Gas-to-Liquids refinery, thus sustaining its operations for another 30 years, or fuel a 3000MW gas-to- power plant.
We await the Constitutional Court decision on the case of Shell s offshore oil and gas exploration in the Wild Coast,” Mabuyane said. The province is endowed with more than 200-trillion cubic feet of prospective shale gas in the Karoo. To tap into this natural resource, the government is working with the Petroleum Agency SA and Eastern Cape universities to conduct one of the world s largest government-funded onshore geophysical survey programmes.
This is a R200m shale gas research phase that positions the three Cape provinces as the primary study area and future production hub.
