Africa-Press – South-Africa. Road Agency Limpopo (RAL) this week came under heavy criticism for its slow pace of infrastructure development, thereby sowing discord between municipalities and communities.
Municipalities and RAL have engaged in heated discussions over dilapidated district roads that pass through tribal lands.
Municipalities have urged RAL to transfer ownership of district roads to them, but to no avail. The rationale was that municipalities would be able to maintain the roads through grants from the National Treasury.
The matter again came to the surface when the Polokwane municipality held a consultative meeting with traditional leaders over its draft 2023/24 integrated development plan (IDP) and budget.
Speaking at the meeting, Polokwane Mayor John Mpe did not mince his words when he criticised RAL for its over-reliance on consultants, rather than focussing on the actual construction of roads.
He said some district roads that were planned by RAL more than 10 years ago had not yet been constructed.
“Let’s put more money on construction than consulting. Traditional leaders have no chance to complain to RAL, but to their municipalities,” he said.
Mpe said:
“To draw a road and constructing a road is not the same thing. We now understand RAL will be helping us with potholes. How does it help us with potholes when they can’t fix other main roads. There are some things that do not make sense.”
At the meeting, traditional leaders complained about the lack of access roads into their areas, poor quality of infrastructure, and unfinished projects.
According to its draft IDP and budget, the municipality will spend just over R974.4 million across its 45 wards on projects that include water schemes, roads and electrification in the 2023/2024 financial year.
At the same time, the tariff for services – except for water and electricity which are set by regulatory bodies – will increase by 6%.
Water and electricity will increase by 17%.
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