KZN transport MEC Duma calls out contractors for delayed, abandoned road projects

KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Siboniso Duma has raised concern about the performance of contractors awarded tenders to build and rehabilitate roads in the province.

Duma told a media briefing on Wednesday 30 contractors responsible for road projects have cost the department an estimated loss of R4.6bn due to their failure to meet deadlines. Two contractors have abandoned their projects entirely.

Duma said a meeting was convened after a surge of complaints about poor execution of road projects. These complaints stemmed from stalled or incomplete projects which have left significant gaps in the province's roads infrastructure.

“We convened this briefing after an engagement with contractors awarded tenders to construct new roads and rehabilitate [existing] roads in the province,” he said.

Duma took responsibility as a public representative, acknowledging the frustration of residents and stressing the department's commitment to accountability.

“A lot of blame, at times rightly so, has been placed at the feet of the department as the custodian of public transportation. However, the reality is we have contractors failing to honour their contracts and it is time we, as the department, name and shame them.

“From today [Wednesday] we will implement punitive measures to ensure we recover money from contractors who have abandoned road construction projects and those who fail to complete projects on time.

“We also note and understand that in recent years contractors were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, as projects had to be halted to ensure the safety of workers.

“As we were recovering from the pandemic and as construction of our infrastructural projects resumed, the province experienced major floods in December 2021 and 2022, resulting in adjustments and reprioritisation.”

Duma said despite these challenges the department has allocated R13bn to infrastructure development, with R9.2bn earmarked specifically for transport infrastructure. Of this, R3.8bn will go towards the construction of new projects while R4.3bn is set aside for roads maintenance.

“More than R102m will be spent on infrastructure planning and design with more than R927m being allocated to support programmes in transport infrastructure.”

A significant portion of this budget will be used to tackle the potholes problem.

The department has already procured 55 trucks dedicated to pothole patching and will acquire 25 more to reinforce efforts. The department has appointed more than 100 road workers and foremen.

“We allocated a budget of more than R216m towards pothole patching which needed heavy investment in maintenance and rehabilitation.”

There are 39 construction projects and 44 rehabilitation or resealing projects under way. However, many of these have faced delays, particularly those managed by the 30 contractors who have failed to deliver.

“Projects managed by these contractors have stalled, with some having been abandoned. There are instances where projects, including site establishment, have not even started. To date, the cost of such delays is R4.6bn,” said Duma. 

“We cannot afford to drop the ball due to contractors' failures. Our focus remains on accountability and efficiency, ensuring that KZN citizens see value for their money.”

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