– R15 million pothole project under scrutiny.
– Repair of pothole-free roads raises questions.
– Every cent must be spent towards improving service delivery.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is probing a R15 million pothole repair project in Gamagara Municipality, where work is scheduled to be undertaken on roads that show no evidence of pothole damage.
According to a road assessment provided by the contractor, at least two of the earmarked roads in Kathu were resealed in 2023, and remain pothole free. This includes Karee Avenue, and a portion of Ben Alberts Way, for which amounts of R316 000 and R176 000 have been allocated for pothole repair.
The project has also given rise to a number of other concerns:
• A contractor from outside the Northern Cape was appointed, while local contractors have the skills and capacity to do the work at a lower cost and a faster pace.
• The municipality has its own road repair team, raising further questions about the duplication of work, costs and failure to better capacitate the existing team.
• The pothole repair project was not included in either the budget of the current financial year, or of the 2026/2027 financial year. Given that Gamagara Municipality has previously stated that it lacks funding for major road upgrades, the sudden availability of a R15 million allocation raises further questions.
The DA raised our concerns and questions about the pothole project during the budget process. We are also closely monitoring the project. Should any invoices be submitted for work on roads that are already in good condition and free of potholes, we will not hesitate to refer the matter to the relevant authorities for investigation.
Many Gamagara roads are in serious need of repairs, but this must be done transparently and through proper financial processes, not through inflated or politically connected contracts that deliver no value for money.