The Democratic Alliance (DA) has requested the Northern Cape Department of Roads and Public Works to present a progress report on its ten-year plan to address the backlog on bridge infrastructure in the province.
During a recent oversight inspection to the Nooiensrivier low water bridge in Ward 7 in the Hantam municipal area near Calvinia, I observed structural decay as a result of the bridge washing away seven years ago, that has forced farmers to carve out a makeshift gravel road next to the bridge.
It is concerning that while the department allocated over R760 million towards the Special Integrated Project (SIP) between Sutherland and Calvinia in the 2017/2018 financial year, to upgrade infrastructure in the region, this bridge’s condition has continued to deteriorate.
Since the department announced its ten-year bridge maintenance plan in the 2018/2019 financial year, there has been no noticeable improvement to targeted transport infrastructure in the province. Instead, the province’s roads and bridges continue to erode due to poor project management.
Last year, an ambulance responding to an emergency was swept away on the dilapidated low water bridge over the Bos River near Middeldrift. In a separate incident, an unknown man was reported missing after being washed away by the Buffelsrivier current. The DA raised our concerns on the deplorable condition of low-water bridges but our requests for the department to account have fallen on deaf ears.
We will again request the portfolio committee to hold this department accountable for the poor condition of transport infrastructure in the province, poor project management and financial mismanagement through a thorough assessment of the implementation of the ten-year bridge maintenance plan.
Farmers in rural areas suffer the most when rainy seasons cause flooding on our provincial roads and bridges. MEC Fufe Makatong must urgently respond to avoid a total collapse of our low-water bridge system.