Question NW2999 to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
08 September 2015 - NW2999
Matlhoko, Mr AM to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
With regard to the National Treasury's capital expenditure report on infrastructure that amounts to R19, 1 billion or 30.6% of the main capital budget of R62,5 billion which is a clear indication that roads are not being build, water taps are running dry and infrastructure is unattended, (a) what is the current infrastructure backlog in municipalities, in particular with regard to the infrastructure of (i) roads and (ii) water and sanitation and (b) what amount of the budget is made available for infrastructure backlogs for municipalities in the 2015-16 financial year?
Reply:
(a) (i) According to Stats SA, in 2011 condition data was only available for 64% of the metropolitan roads network, and 80% of paved roads and 12% of gravel metropolitan roads were in a fairly good condition. Outside of the metropolitan areas, the Department of Transport indicates that road condition data is only available for approximately 4% of the municipal roads. In 2014 the South African National Roads Agency estimated the extent of the municipal roads network to be approximately 250 000 km. It estimated that R32 billion would be required to rehabilitate paved municipal roads and to re-gravel municipal roads. The cost of paving all the unpaved municipal roads is not known.
(ii) According to research carried out by the Department of Water and Sanitation, of the 1622 water supply schemes under municipal management, 9% are dysfunctional and 48% require urgent refurbishment and improved maintenance. According to the DWS 2013 Strategic Overview of the Water Sector in SA, 64% of Municipal Waste Water Treatment Works required urgent refurbishment and improved maintenance. The Department of Water and Sanitation has estimated the required national intervention cost of the backlog of municipal water infrastructure, excluding the metropolitan municipalities, to be R79 billion. The Department of Water and Sanitation has estimated the value of the backlog of sanitation infrastructure, excluding the metropolitan municipalities, to be in the order of R50 billion. Both include backlogs of a capital nature and backlogs of maintenance.
(b) The total Municipal Infrastructure Grant allocation for 2015/16 is R15 billion. This is for capital and refurbishment projects only. Municipalities are expected to fund maintenance from their own revenue and their equitable share allocation.