Mpumalanga Public Works Department keeps failing to meet its targets

Issued by Trudie Grovè-Morgan: MPL – DA Spokesperson on CoGTA
16 May 2023 in Press Releases

The DA in Mpumalanga is concerned that the failure to fill critical vacant posts in the Provincial Department of Public Works, Roads, and Transport has hindered the rollout of services like road construction and maintenance. 

According to the Portfolio Committee Report on the 2022/23 third quarter performance of the Department of Public Works, Roads, and Transport, they failed to fill three strategic Deputy Director General positions which impacted performance on key projects and fostered a lack of accountability. 

The department’s own third quarterly performance report for 2022/23, has revealed that they failed to meet targets set in respect of construction, road construction and maintenance, and community-based operations such as the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). 

Considering the above, the third quarter report for the department also revealed that they have failed to: 

  • Ensure that 86 capital infrastructure projects are complete as it completed only 45 at the third quarter. 
  • On the upgrading of rural access roads, the department did not meet any of the following targets set; 
  1. number of KM of gravel road upgraded to surfaced road, planned= 5, achieved=0
  2. surfaced roads, planned = 4, achieved= 0
  3. paving, planned=1, achieved=0 
  • Number of square meters of surfaced roads rehabilitated on coal haulage and tourism routes, planned=72 240, achieved= 44981 
  • Number of square metres of surfaced roads resealed, planned 303 765, achieved= 296358 
  • Number of EPWP jobs created by the public works sector, planned=173, achieved=4. 

Recently, the condition of our roads in the province took a huge blow because of a failure to perform regular maintenance due to a shortfall in the department’s budget, broken equipment, and an inability to meet targets that have been set. 

Noting the above, the DA has written to the MEC for the Department of Public Works, Roads, and Transport, Mandla Ndlovu, asking him to ensure that he fills critical vacant posts in his department and ensure that services are rolled out as a matter of urgency.