Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Sesotho soundbites by Jafta Mokoena MPL and Afrikaans soundbite by Werner Pretorius MPL with images here and here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will formally write to the Free State MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport to request urgent intervention in response to the deteriorating condition of roads in and around Bothaville. The continued neglect of this critical infrastructure is severely undermining agricultural operations and placing jobs at risk across the area.
The DA is calling for a clear and publicly available maintenance schedule, as well as full transparency regarding budget allocations for rural road infrastructure. We will conduct oversight visits and, if necessary, escalate the matter in the Legislature to ensure that rural communities such as Bothaville are not sidelined or forgotten.
Farmers in and around Bothaville are struggling to remain viable as key access roads have deteriorated to the point where fuel delivery trucks are becoming stuck, preventing the reliable delivery of diesel needed for daily farming operations. Recent rainfall has further worsened an already dire situation, leaving essential deliveries delayed or, in some cases, completely impossible. Without dependable access to fuel, farmers are unable to operate machinery, irrigate crops, or maintain production schedules — placing both food production and livelihoods under serious threat. While farmers and farm workers have attempted to mitigate the damage themselves, limited resources make these efforts unsustainable.
The crisis is further compounded by the ongoing threat of foot-and-mouth disease. Poor road infrastructure severely restricts the ability to manage outbreaks effectively, transport livestock safely, and access veterinary services. If left unresolved, the combination of failing roads and disease risk will accelerate economic decline, resulting in job losses and reduced agricultural output.
Functional roads are not a luxury — they are the backbone of agricultural production and local economic growth. If government continues to fail in its responsibility, farmers will continue to bear the cost, workers will lose jobs, and the local economy will continue to shrink — this is something the DA cannot allow.