The deteriorating roads network in the Free State is costing lives and livelihoods. Emergency vehicles are unable to deliver services to many areas as a result of this and many of our towns, farms and communities have become social islands with self-imposed economic sanctions caused by the poor roads network.
The DA has confirmed that the R45,2 million that was lost for roads in the province was due to continued underperformance by the provincial Department of Police, Roads and Transport. Discussions between the national Department of Transport and the province did not result in an improvement throughout the 2020/21 Financial Year.
In reply to a parliamentary question by the DA Free State NCOP Member George Michalakis to the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, it has been confirmed that the province continued to underperform with both the R1,490 billion Provincial Roads Maintenance Grant (PRMG) and the R180,7 million Strategic Road Network (SRN) incentive grant.
The Minister of Finance has indicated that the Free State Department of Police, Roads and Transport only supplied project plans for half of their SRN allocation and together with planning deficiencies and underperformance led to the re-allocation of some of the funds to other provinces. This was done by the national Department of Transport with National Treasury approval.
The underperformance and capacity constraints that prevent the province from delivering a decent roads network to residents of the province and the resulting road deaths due to decaying roads is criminal. The Premier must take full responsibility for the performance of her provincial government. She must give her commitment to the Legislature that the constraints that have cost the province funds and our people’s lives will be addressed sufficiently. The people of the Free State continue to suffer because of poor provincial government performance.
The Free State Provincial government must interrogate the reasons for the Department’s underperformance and implement the necessary consequence management, although the ANC’s reshuffling political heads and cadre deployed officials who continue to fail our people is not a long term solution.
The Free State needs a new government which the DA will provide in 2024.
The DA will continue to put pressure on the Free State provincial government to recognize the importance of a sound roads infrastructure as a crucial economic enabler for the province.