Date: 20 April 2023
Release: immediate
The DA in Limpopo welcomes the decision to place the provincial Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure under professional assessment in order to assess issues of governance, financial management and service delivery.
While we welcome the decision it has all come far too late. The continued worsening of the province’s infrastructure year after year and delays in the completion of projects highlight how Premier Mathabatha and his executive have sat idly by over the years and let challenges fester.
The DA has repeatedly raised concerns over the infrastructure development and maintenance backlogs, the shocking state of the provincial road network and the continual failures of the Roads Agency Limpopo (RAL).
The department has repeatedly failed to ensure the payment of municipal bills and has racked hundreds of millions in debt. This has a ripple effect on the operational expenditure and effective service provision by municipalities to residents.
The provincial road network is in shambles and has a backlog of 13 916km of gravel or unpaved road or 68.3% of the total road network that needs attention. RAL needs about R138 billion to upgrade all gravel roads in the province and at current funding levels it would take 115 years to clear the backlog.
RAL has also remained stagnant with issues related to compliance with key legislation and had unchanged findings in the last four financial years in areas such as expenditure management, strategic planning, performance management, procurement and contract management.
Limpopo needs a department and RAL that works. The DA will continue monitoring the situation and await the outcome of the assessment.
