A scathing Legislature report has exposed a widening gap between expenditure and results in Mpumalanga’s infrastructure department, reports Lowvelder.

While R5.59bn was spent during the 2024/25 financial year, nearly a quarter of performance targets were missed, leaving rural communities stranded by stalled roadworks and bridge projects.

Opposition parties have raised serious concerns over stalled infrastructure projects, recurring audit failures and worsening service delivery challenges at the Mpumalanga Department of Public Works, Roads and Transport (DPWRT).

This follows the release of the Legislature Portfolio Committee’s report on the DPWRT’s annual report, which highlighted delayed road upgrades, stalled Welisizwe bridge projects, municipal debt pressures and ongoing governance concerns.

The DPWRT spent 96.4% of its allocated budget, amounting to R5.59b of a final appropriation of R5.799b, while achieving only 33 of its 42 performance targets (about 79%).

VF Plus MPL Werner Weber described these figures as evidence of weak project management and poor accountability.

“The department is fixated on expenditure rather than delivery. Communities see billions vanish on paper, yet taps remain dry and roads remain broken,” he said.

DA MPL Teboho Sekaledi, who holds qualifications in civil and urban engineering, said the DPWRT’s own annual report reveals a widening disconnect between expenditure and delivery.

“When a department spends almost the entire budget but still fails to deliver all the outputs it commits to, it suggests money is flowing, but management systems, contract oversight and consequence management are not doing their job,” Sekaledi said.

Welisizwe Bridge Programme delays spark outrage

The Portfolio Committee report identified the Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme as one of the DPWRT’s biggest failures during the financial year, with only one of 17 planned bridge projects completed. The department attributed the delays largely to South African National Defence Force (SANDF) capacity constraints, stating that only one team and one supplier were operating per province.

The SANDF is involved in the project via its Engineer Formation, to assist with the constructing of steel bridges.

Weber warned that the delays are having devastating consequences for rural communities.

“These bridges are lifelines to schools, clinics and markets. Without them, children wade through rivers to reach classrooms, patients struggle to access healthcare, and farmers remain cut off from markets,” he said and added that every delay deepens inequality and keeps rural communities trapped in hardship.

Sekaledi said the delays are particularly concerning in a province already struggling with flood damage, culvert failures and aging infrastructure.

“The slow pace on Welisizwe is condemning rural residents to another year of dangerous access routes and isolation from economic opportunities,” he said.

He added that relying heavily on SANDF capacity appears to have created a major implementation bottleneck.

“A workable model should have clear timelines, defined responsibilities, and contingency plans when a partner like SANDF cannot deliver,” Sekaledi said.

Major road and infrastructure projects stall

The annual report further acknowledged that delays to the Integrated Rural Mobility and Access programme have negatively affected communities relying on roads and transport infrastructure to access schools, clinics and markets. Several major road rehabilitation and infrastructure projects also remain incomplete.

These include projects between Casteel and Zoeknog, Belfast and Justicia, the Luphisi Road rehabilitation project and the R577 rehabilitation near Mashishing, with some projects remaining below 50% completion.

The annual report also highlighted delays involving the Mpumalanga Parliamentary Village and Mkhondo Boarding School projects.

According to the report, Parliamentary Village Phase II was only 80% complete with a revised completion date of June 30 last year, while the Mkhondo Boarding School project stood at 98% completion with a revised deadline of March 29, 2025.

The DPWRT attributed delays on several projects to community unrest, contractor performance problems and scope changes. Sekaledi described the projects as ‘multi-year headaches.’

“These projects continue absorbing large budgets while communities and public institutions still wait for promised infrastructure,” he said.

Weber said road rehabilitation delays remain one of the VF Plus’ greatest concerns. “The delays on the Moloto Road upgrade are especially alarming. This route, notorious for fatal accidents, is vital for commuters between Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng,” Weber said.

Recurring audit failures raise accountability concerns

The Portfolio Committee further raised concern over recurring audit findings and substantial compliance failures repeatedly flagged by the Auditor-General. The committee noted that concerns previously raised by the Audit Committee and Internal Audit unit continue to reappear, suggesting audit action plans are not being properly implemented.

The annual report reflects an opening irregular expenditure balance of R1.195b, of which R320.4m remains under investigation. Sekaledi said the recurring findings suggest accountability mechanisms are failing.

“The DPWRT cannot claim a culture of accountability while the same audit issues, supply chain management weaknesses and project failures repeat every year with no visible deterrent effect,” he said.

Weber agreed, saying consequence management appears largely absent. “Officials and contractors repeat the same mistakes year after year because they know they will not face consequences. Mismanagement has become routine instead of corrected.”

Municipal debt and learner transport under pressure

The report also revealed severe financial pressure relating to municipal rates and taxes. According to the annual report, the DPWRT allocated only R300.1m for municipal rates despite total municipal bills exceeding R586.4m.

Outstanding debt to municipalities reportedly stood at more than R355m at year-end. The department acknowledged that some municipalities disconnected government facilities because of non-payment, affecting service delivery.

Sekaledi described the situation as a textbook case of poor financial planning. “When government knowingly budgets far below the real liability for rates and taxes, the inevitable consequence is that clinics, offices and other facilities are disconnected.”

Weber said: “When clinics and schools are cut off because accounts are not paid, it is not just poor management; it is a direct threat to public health and education.”

Scholar transport pressures also emerged as a growing concern.

The DPWRT acknowledged that demand for learner transport exceeds available funding, while delayed payments to operators and transport shortages resulted in some learners missing school or walking long distances, placing their safety at risk.

“Current interventions are not sufficient to protect learners,” Sekaledi said.

“You cannot claim adequacy while children still walk long distances in unsafe conditions and operators are not paid on time.”

Weber added that learners remain vulnerable to overcrowding, unsafe vehicles and dangerous travel conditions.

Legislature demands progress reports

Despite these challenges, the DPWRT told the committee that interventions are underway to improve project monitoring, contractor oversight, internal controls and infrastructure delivery.

The Legislature Committee has instructed the DPWRT to provide quarterly progress reports on delayed projects, staffing shortages, recovery processes and infrastructure delivery until the outstanding matters are resolved.

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