Staff reporter
Bloemfontein – The Department of Community , Safety, Roads and Transport will transfer R103 to SANRAL, that’s according to Jabu Mbalula, MEC.
Tasked with roads, the department is failing to do bare minimum – maintain and repair the roads.
Most provincial roads are not only horrible and unroadworthy to drive, but are also death traps.
David McKay, Member of Parliament from Democratic Alliance asked Jabu Mbalula, MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport about R103 in the Internal Question Paper.
“Will the R103 Warden / Vrede be rehabilitated, maintained and prioritised in this financial year? If not why not? If so, when, and what are the relevant details?”
In response, Mbalula said:
“No, the R103 road between Warden to Vrede is not on the business plan for the 2025/26 financial. The Department is intending to transfer the road to SANRAL.”
The failure by the department to maintain roads is testimony of government failing to do its job.
In April, farmers in Harrismith asked the department for permission to fully pay for construction of farm roads and without any shame, CSR&T agreed.
In July, farmers and taxi operators from Ficksburg, Marquad, Ladybrand and Clocolan asked the department to transfer R708 to SANRAL in a memorandum handed to Ntaka.
Asked about this development, McKay said the province must tighten its belt.
“The maintenance and quality of work by Sanral is higher and more effiecient, the dilemma however is that if too many provincial roads are transferred to Sanral, the province will cease to be able to render effective service to the roads they are responsible for, as the annual funds allocated by National Treasury are directly related to the kilometers of surface and gravel roads the province is responsible for.
“So in an ideal world the province must tighten its belt, ensure competent, cost effective and reliable contractors are awarded the tenders, so that the funds allocated are being used for the purpose intended and not lining the pockets of cadre tenderpreneurs.”
If you have news or tips please email news@stepupsanews.co.za or WhatsApp 0685000246
Afaik, in the case of Ptovinces, Treasury allocates funds on a population basis, not road kilometers
Meanwhile, in Australia, if my memory is accurate, their Treasury used somewhere around 16 different factors to allocate road funds to the States. Population and road kms were there, but so were climate, materials, traffic volumes, economic policy, etc.
And, have they asked SANRAL if it wants to run the R103? Me, I’d guess no, they don’t. Even if it comes with funding, which seems unlikely. It might mean taking back a lot of old national roads where those have been replaced by new .