75% vacancy rate for Gauteng Roads and Transport Department, while potholes continue to multiply like gremlins

1 April 2021

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will be tabling questions to the MEC for Roads and Transport, Jacob Mamabolo regarding the Department’s concerning 75% operation capacity due to unfilled vacancies.

This information was revealed in Department’s annual report for the 2019/20 financial year.

According to the report, the Senior Management Service (SMS) had a vacancy rate of 18% by March 2020, due to the Department lacking a sufficient compensation budget, while there were 76 critical occupations left vacant.

This is concerning considering the department underspent on its budget to the tune of R627 million.

Critical vacancies in this department must be filled as a matter of urgency and the serious under spending by this department that has become the norm, must be addressed if we are to ensure that projects undertaken by the department are completed on time and that the maintenance of our roads, especially with the ever growing number of potholes, are completed on a regular basis.

Political leadership is vital to steer the Department in the right direction so that road infrastructure service delivery can be effectively and optimally rolled out.

Issued by Evert Du Plessis, DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Roads and Transport, 1 April 2021