The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo has written to Premier Pophi Ramathuba, demanding her immediate intervention to address the dire state of the R572 road from Alldays to Musina. The road connects the Mapungubwe region to its two main arterial routes, the N1 and R521—and to urge its urgent transfer to SANRAL and designation as a national road.
The Greater Mapungubwe region, which includes the Mapungubwe National Park, the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site, and parts of the UNESCO-recognised Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, is Limpopo’s second most strategic tourism region after the Kruger National Park. It also plays a critical role in agriculture, contributing significantly to both the provincial and national economies and supplying local and international markets.
The section of the R572 in question, currently under the control of Road Agency Limpopo (RAL), has disintegrated in parts, severely affecting both tourism and agricultural transport.
Online reviews from tourists visiting Mapungubwe express outrage over the state of the roads, with many vowing never to return. Farmers report substantial losses, citing damaged produce, vehicles, and equipment, as well as suppliers refusing to deliver agricultural inputs to the area.
The DA has consistently highlighted RAL’s abject failure to maintain and develop road infrastructure, particularly the worsening condition of the R521 and R572. These roads are essential to regional economic activity, yet their deterioration continues to strangle tourism, agriculture, and broader economic growth.
Following years of lobbying, sections of the R521 and R572 have been transferred from RAL to SANRAL—except for the crucial stretch of the R572 from Alldays to Musina.
At a recent meeting convened by agricultural and tourism stakeholders, RAL conceded its failures and acknowledged that the only rational solution is to hand over this remaining section of the R572 to SANRAL.
The DA firmly believes that both the R521 and R572 should be declared national routes—in the interests of Limpopo’s development and South Africa’s economic future.
The Democratic Alliance remains committed to driving economic growth and development. Well-maintained, functional infrastructure is not a luxury—it is an absolute necessity.