UMngeni mayor Pappas warns of economic threats due to KwaZulu-Natal's road maintenance issues

UMngeni Municipality Mayor Chris Pappas has blasted the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport for its failure to manage provincial roads.

In a statement posted on social media, Pappas said the department is a threat to the growth of the provincial economy.

Pappas's frustration comes as the mayor recently wrote to the MEC of Economic Development, Musa Zondi, highlighting the issue. 

Pappas said KwaZulu-Natal’s economy is finally showing early signs of recovery. Construction jobs are returning, the agricultural sector recorded welcome growth in the last quarter, and investor confidence is tentatively re-emerging across several regions.

“Yet this recovery is under serious threat from the ongoing failure of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport to maintain the road network that underpins every aspect of provincial economic activity," he said.

Pappas stated that the Department of Transport’s core mandate is to manage and upgrade KwaZulu-Natal’s critical economic and social transport infrastructure; however, the department has significantly fallen short. Roads are collapsing, maintenance is inconsistent or non-existent, and major capital projects are either stalled, years behind schedule, or on the brink of failure.

“Small towns, which rely heavily on tourism, agriculture, and local logistics, are hit the hardest. These towns depend on reliable roads to attract visitors, move produce, and allow residents to access work, healthcare, and basic services. When these networks deteriorate, entire local economies suffer. Tourism bookings decline, farms face rising transport costs, businesses struggle to operate, and residents become increasingly isolated. The ripple effects are already visible in many communities.

The mayor pointed out the impact of this, saying KwaZulu-Natal positions itself as a premier tourism destination, yet guesthouses, tour operators, and hospitality businesses regularly report cancellations because travellers refuse to risk journeys on unsafe provincial roads.

“The safety implications are equally severe. Thousands of commuters navigate these hazardous roads daily.

“KwaZulu-Natal’s economic recovery is real but painfully fragile. Without a functional road network, gains in construction, agriculture, and tourism will evaporate,” he concluded.

Ndabe Sibiya, spokesperson of the Department of Transport, said the department is working hard to address challenges despite budget cuts.

He said they are aware of the state of road infrastructure in Umgungundlovu District Municipality and many other districts across the province.

He added that roads in Umgungundlovu are on the list of projects that will be undertaken.

“The MEC Siboniso Duma appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Transport where he tabled achievements and reflected on challenges. He has also met with the MEC for Finance and HOD for Finance, where all parties affirmed their enduring commitment to work together despite budget constraints.

“In particular, delays of some construction projects are caused by the fact that we are operating with limited resources because of budget cuts across all government departments, including the Department of Transport. We receive allocations, like all other government departments, from the Provincial Treasury.

He stated that the backlog for constructing new roads is approximately R19 billion.

“We need an extra R2 billion every year on top of our budget for construction. In addition, the maintenance backlog is between R2 billion and R5 billion. We need an extra R1 billion. Notwithstanding the above challenges, with limited resources, we are making progress in terms of repairing and maintaining more than 34,000 kilometres of road networks across the province.”

He said the provincial government led by the premier Thami Ntuli and MEC Duma will meet with members of the national council of provinces (NCOP) on Tuesday as part of the work to accelerate service delivery.

THE MERCURY