DA KZN Transport spokesperson Riona Gokool, MPL, said roads including the Sunset Rest road and the Dundee/Vryheid R33 were among those causing concern.

She said public representatives had received complaints about potholes, damaged drainage infrastructure, failing bridges, flooding and inadequate maintenance.

Gokool told the Courier that concerns had been formally raised with KZN Transport portfolio committee chairperson MC Maphisa, the Transport MEC and the department’s head of department.

However, she said public representatives were struggling to obtain timely and substantive responses after referring complaints to the Department of Transport (DoT).

“This situation is leaving many communities frustrated and is hampering public representatives’ ability to provide residents with meaningful answers,” Gokool said.

She warned that deteriorating road infrastructure also undermined local economic activity, made it harder for businesses to operate and limited opportunities for job creation.

DA demands greater accountability

The DA has called on Maphisa to convene an urgent portfolio committee meeting and use the KZN Legislature’s oversight mechanisms to require the department to account for outstanding matters.

Recent reports have also highlighted deteriorating conditions on the Dundee/Vryheid R33, previously described by motorists as the “Hell Run”.

Rehabilitation on sections of the route began in 2024, following years of complaints about potholes and badly rutted surfaces.

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