Note to Editors: Please note Riona Gokool, MPL sound bite in English
The DA demands immediate intervention by KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN’s) Department of Transport (DoT) on the R69 route between Vryheid, Louwsburg, and Pongola including a clear timeline for full rehabilitation of the road, monthly progress updates and a moratorium on awarding contracts to underqualified, politically connected entities.
The corridor, vital for regional connectivity and economic activity, has deteriorated to such an extent that it now poses a daily threat to lives and livelihoods. (view pics here and here)
A trip between the three towns, that should take just over an hour, now drags on for some two hours due to the horrific state of the road. According to local residents, in some stretches there are more than 500 potholes in a single kilometre, making it virtually impassable. This is not just an inconvenience, it is a public safety emergency.
Every day, drivers fall victim to these conditions with broken chassis, flat tyres, overturned vehicles and even head-on collisions now the norm. Numerous people have been seriously injured due to the appalling conditions. In misty weather, typical of the Louwsburg area, the danger is amplified, turning this route into a death trap.
For the past two years, community members have submitted monthly complaints to the DoT in Vryheid. Despite this, the department has failed to act decisively or transparently.
A response (view here) to written parliamentary questions by the DA in KZN now reveals that the upgrade of this route forms part of the rehabilitation project for Provincial Road P46-2, specifically from kilometre marker 16.00 to 45.00. While a contract for rehabilitation work has been awarded, the contractor is currently in the process of fulfilling pre-construction obligations with full-scale construction yet to begin.
In the interim, patchwork maintenance activities have been announced, including blacktop patching and material procurement. However, these “quick fixes” have proved to be ineffective, poorly implemented, and in many cases, more damaging than helpful. Temporary patches have crumbled within just a few days, further destabilising the road and adding new risks for road users.
This disastrous road reflects more than poor maintenance. It is a complete failure of foresight, critical thinking and basic governance.
KZN’s DoT has repeatedly demonstrated its inability to plan proactively, execute timeously or appoint competent contractors based on merit rather than political connections. The practice of awarding contracts to politically connected but underqualified entities has also eroded public trust and led to substandard work that compounds rather than solves the problem.
On receipt of the numerous R69 complaints – and the number of accidents logged – the DoT should have:
· Conducted an urgent and comprehensive assessment
· Immediately allocated funding for critical repairs and long-term rehabilitation
· Provided a transparent public report outlining the way forward and;
· Ensured ongoing and accountable maintenance with timelines and community oversight.
Instead, surrounding communities have been left to fend for themselves. The constant financial burden and emotional distress caused by this broken road has understandably left many frustrated and angry while their calls for accountability have been met with silence, delays, and more empty promises.
The DA now demands:
• That KZN’s Transport portfolio committee conducts an oversight inspection of the R69 and;
• That a full report on the status of the R69 be tabled at the next committee meeting, together with a comprehensive plan including budgets and timelines for its full rehabilitation.
Fixing the R69 is not a luxury, it is a lifesaving necessity. Residents can no longer risk their lives on a road that has been allowed to crumble to ruin. As part of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) the DA will continue to push for proper road networks for the people of our province.