The state of roads in the Eastern Cape has long been a bone of contention, an issue premier Oscar Mabuyane on Friday admitted was a “sore point” for the provincial government.
Good quality, well-maintained surfaces are more than just about the driving experience for motorists, it underpins every aspect of our daily lives.
Last year, road infrastructure was the subject of an Eastern Cape Human Rights Commission inquiry.
The commission had been inundated with complaints from communities it had visited, prompting them to subpoena officials in the OR Tambo district to answer.
To many people, particularly those living in rural areas, bad roads could mean not being able to access health care or emergency medical services, children missing out on school or villages cut off from the outside world on rainy days.
It is also a matter of public safety. Poorly maintained roads can lead to increased accidents, injuries and fatalities.
The ageing road infrastructure and crumbling bridges in some of the province’s villages reflect years of underfunding and neglect.
The consequences are far-reaching — it stifles economic growth, heightens safety risks and diminishes quality of life for residents.
Currently, the investments in road infrastructure pale in comparison to the need that exists.
The maintenance backlog in the province stands at more than R150bn.
Despite the magnitude of the problem, any and all efforts to upgrade roads should be welcomed and encouraged.
Sanral earlier this year said it planned to spend R60bn on road projects in the Eastern Cape in the next five years and the provincial government announced R2bn to turn 11 gravel roads into tar roads.
One of the roads earmarked for upgrade is one leading to Sipetu Hospital in Ntabankulu.
Mabuyane, speaking to the media at the two-day Premier’s Intergovernmental Forum last week, said the forum “is a platform for monitoring and evaluation at which officials from all spheres of government meet and raise matters of national interest, co-ordinate the alignment of priorities and discuss performance with the aim of enhancing service delivery by aligning the work of the provincial government with that of municipalities”.
These forums can play an important role in ensuring investments are targeted and effective, but that can only work if those priorities are acted on.
Investing in road infrastructure is not merely a matter of maintaining concrete and asphalt, it is an investment in the future of our communities.
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