– Deadly roads are putting lives, jobs and livelihoods at risk.
– Repeated contractor and project failures are leaving communities stranded.
– DA calls for SAHRC investigation and accountability for failing road projects.
The Democratic Alliance has approached the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) over Dikgatlong’s dangerous and deteriorating roads, which are more than an infrastructure failure, posing a serious threat to residents’ safety and right to life.
For residents travelling between Barkly West, Windsorton, Delportshoop and surrounding communities, deadly roads have become an everyday reality. Crosses marking the sites of fatal crashes are a sobering reminder of the human cost of failing to maintain safe roads.
I have repeatedly raised concerns about roads in Dikgatlong, including the R31 and the road between Barkly West and Windsorton. Of particular concern is the recurring pattern of projects that drag on, contractors failing to complete work, contracts being terminated and communities being left to travel on dangerous roads while government remains tied up in procurement processes.
The Barkly West-Windsorton road is a glaring example. The department confirmed that the first contractor’s contract was terminated on 27 July, with only approximately 45% of the project completed. Residents are now expected to continue risking their lives while waiting for another contractor to be awarded. This cannot become an accepted way of managing critical road infrastructure.
The R31 further highlights the scale of the problem, with SANRAL having taken over responsibility for the route and awarding a contract worth approximately R119.6 million to resurface the section between Delportshoop and Barkly West.
The SAHRC complaint seeks answers about how roads have been allowed to deteriorate despite years of public funding for construction, rehabilitation and maintenance. It also seeks to address contractor failures, unfinished projects, delays, maintenance shortcomings and the accountability mechanisms meant to protect communities when publicly funded projects fail.
The SAHRC has previously found, in its investigation into deteriorating road infrastructure in the Eastern Cape, that failures in the provision and maintenance of roads can affect constitutional rights, including the rights to life and dignity, freedom of movement, and access to healthcare, education and economic opportunities.
The situation in Dikgatlong warrants similar scrutiny and should be the starting point for a broader conversation about accountability for the Northern Cape’s thousands of kilometres of deteriorating roads and delayed infrastructure projects.
Poor roads and unfinished projects do not only put lives at risk; they restrict access to jobs, undermine local businesses, increase the cost of doing business and make it harder for people to travel to and from work. Residents should not continue paying the price for failures in planning, procurement and infrastructure maintenance.