The DA in Limpopo will submit written questions to Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure MEC Ernest Rachoene, regarding the performance of the department and Road Agency Limpopo (RAL). The first quarter performance report of the department has highlighted poor performance across numerous programmes.
RAL’s scope of work has been considerably reduced to exclude road maintenance and only focus on upgrading provincial roads from gravel to tar. Their budget has been severely cut, while the compensation of employees will increase substantially, leaving even less money to provide service to the people of Limpopo.
RAL’s total budget was slashed down to R958.617 million in the 2025/26 year from R 2,8 billion in the previous year. More concerning was that the budget for compensation of employees in 2024/25 was R 129.862 million and increased in 2025/26 to R 145.417 million and will increase to R 162.784 million in 2026/27. The implications of this budget reallocation will be severe, and most certainly impacting on the quality and development of critical road networks.
The performance of Limpopo Department of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure (DPWRI) has also been poor. The budget of Administration increased sharply from R 458.878 million in 2024/25 to R 638.852 million in 2025/26 while the budget for the critical programmes within the department hardly increased.
Road infrastructure spending stands at a shocking 15%, considerably lower than the 25% target for the first quarter and highlights poor planning within the department. At this current pace of spending, the department risks not spending its full budget, which most probably will result in a significant amount of funds being returned. This will mean more potholes and unmaintained road infrastructure, making roads less safe for motorists and increasing the risk of litigation against the department.
The poor management and incompetence of the department may result in the loss of the Provincial Road Maintenance Grant funds where only R137 million of R2.06 billion (7%) was spent. This suggests that critical road maintenance projects are not being executed.
The department failed to meet its targets with regards to Road Rehabilitation and road resurfacing largely due to project delays and preventative maintenance delays respectively. These reasons for underperformance are unacceptable and highlight the extent of mismanagement in both the department and RAL.
The reduction in budget allocations for road infrastructure is a cause for considerable concern due to the existing road backlogs in the province. While we acknowledge the contribution of programmes like the Dikgerekgere initiative to maintain gravel roads, with a reduced budget, the department can’t adequately fund the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing roads.
The DA will ask critical questions to make sure that this department improves its performance. We are committed to ensuring that the people of Limpopo have adequate road infrastructure and that the department maintains all roads.