Dilapidated municipal storm water systems bring to naught the repairs to national roads

9 December 2022

The dilapidated state of municipal storm water systems is bringing to naught expensive repair work to national roads.

Rainwater damming up in towns on main routes is eroding the roads and causing the road surface to crumble. Thus, causing millions of rand in damage.

Some examples of this are Wolmaransstad and Potchefstroom in the North West, through which the N12 runs and is frequently under water due to blocked storm water pipes.

SANRAL recently repaired the road after the FF Plus asked the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, to step in. R45 million was spent on repairing the road between Wolmaransstad, Klerksdorp and Potchefstroom.

In addition, a recent parliamentary report also indicated that much of the flood damage to roads in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape earlier this year was caused by dilapidated municipal storm water systems.

With the increase in traffic on these routes during the festive season, the ANC-controlled municipalities' failure is creating a safety risk for travelling tourists.

The situation once again shines the spotlight on how the irresponsibility, lack of insight and incompetence characterising ANC-controlled municipalities is undermining the national ANC government's attempts to provide proper service delivery. It is a disgrace.

South Africans deserve better than the ANC.

Issued by Michal Groenewald, FF Plus MP and chief spokesperson: Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), 9 December 2022