Vryheid: AfriForum asks Public Protector to investigate department over road maintenance

In a letter AfriForum requested that the Public Protector (PP) investigates the office of the Department of Transport in Vryheid. This step was necessary because the department does little or no maintenance work to its infrastructure assets in its area of jurisdiction and also does not react to AfriForum’s complaints.

AfriForum asks that the PP investigates the qualifications of management members at the Department of Transport in Vryheid, as well as the financial state of affairs, the contracts that were rewarded and whether the contractors complied with minimum qualifications to do this construction work.

Potholes are only filled with gravel after an accident already occurred and motorists have even paid with their lives because potholes are not filled. Road signs and warning boards are also not maintained at all.

“The local department has a fleet of brand-new vehicles, but none of these vehicles or personnel are ever seen on the roads to do maintenance to tar roads or road signs and safety measures. What happens to the budget which is allocated to the region?” asks Eugene van Aswegen, AfriForum’s Provincial Coordinator for KwaZulu-Natal.

AfriForum will watch the situation closely to ensure that there is no form of corruption.

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