The Democratic Alliance (DA) demands effective management of the Northern Cape Fleet Management Trading Entity (NCFMTE) after the sharp decline in operational graders that further undermined road infrastructure delivery in the province.
During the 2024/2025 financial year, the percentage of working graders dropped from 75% to 69%, leaving only 44 graders available to maintain and construct roads across the country’s largest province. This decline calls into question the entity’s ability to support the Department of Roads and Public Works in fulfilling its core mandate.
The NCFMTE only managed to replace one out of a planned target of 20 yellow fleet vehicles. To further compound matters, officials were implicated in the theft of yellow fleet in the ZF Mgcawu district.
The portfolio committee for Roads and Public Works also recently learnt that MEC Fufe Makatong used a portion of her discretionary funds to empower grader operators who do not possess the necessary qualifications.
It therefore comes as no surprise that the department failed to meet its re-gravelling targets for the 2024/2025 financial year and that the road network’s Visual Condition Index (VCI) has regressed from 69% to 63%.
Farmers, learners, emergency services and businesses all depend on a reliable road network. The Northern Cape therefore cannot afford mismanagement, declining capacity and questionable spending on roads.
We are calling for immediate intervention in the NCFMTE. We are questioning the entity’s expenditure of R52 808 million on repairs and maintenance for yellow fleet assets, with a 6% decrease in grader availability in the province. We have also requested a report reflecting the department’s blading projects for the last five years, as well as mitigation measures put in place to address the overall condition of the province’s roads.
Having one of the most expansive road networks in the country, the Northern Cape should be the leading province in effectively managing provincial road conditions.