Question NW322 to the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
03 April 2023 - NW322
Madokwe, Ms P to ask the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
Whether, given the reports of terrible roads, particularly in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, her department intends intervening under the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic, 1996, to ensure that the funds that were allocated will be used to fix (a) all roads and/or (b) only a small number of roads; if not, (i) what is the position in this regard and (ii) how will residents of the specified areas go about ensuring that their own roads are in good condition; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Funding for the construction of municipal roads is usually secured through the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG). Fixing of roads within municipalities is generally funded through municipal own resources and the Equitable Share allocation. As the roads infrastructure asset continues to grow / increase, there is need to increase the budgeting and funding for the repair and maintenance and minor upgrades of all rural / municipal access roads and related infrastructure.
Some / most municipalities have own plant and equipment and labour to undertake most of their Operations and Maintenance (O&M) requirements. Due to limited funding and sometimes due to heavy rains the roads infrastructure deteriorates faster than planned thereby forcing respective municipalities to re-prioritise their maintenance plans and sometimes delay the same as resources would be channelled towards critical interventions. There is no reported under-expenditure of O & M funds within municipalities. Certain municipalities have even applied for re-prioritisation of capital expenditure grants to undertake urgent O & M activities to alleviate the O & M backlog challenges.
End.