Ideology Over Infrastructure: Farmers Pay the Price for Government Failure

“While job creation remains a national imperative, it cannot be the key performance indicator (KPI) for the maintenance of critical infrastructure,” says Francois Wilken, President of Free State Agriculture (FSA).

Wilken adds, “If the provincial government were truly serious about job creation, it would start by restructuring its own top-heavy personnel system and appointing the many urgently needed grader operators and manual labourers.” He notes that FSA has raised this issue repeatedly over the years during meetings with the Department.

Currently, farmers are forced to hire retired grader operators at their own cost just to have deteriorating gravel roads bladed — and that’s only when a state-owned grader happens to be operational. The centralised management of the yellow fleet, coupled with preferential procurement systems, has led to the collapse of maintenance and repairs on essential state vehicles and equipment.

Wilken criticizes the Extended Public Works Programme (EPWP), saying that while its aim of providing local employment is commendable, it ultimately keeps the poorest citizens dependent on government’s sub-minimum wage stipends — often distributed with political fanfare through loyal cadres.

He further warns that the Contractor Development Programme, another “noble” initiative on paper, has been similarly abused. “The repeated failures of fly-by-night contractors point to a captured public procurement process, whether by the so-called construction mafia or by politicians themselves.”

FSA members have repeatedly cautioned the Department about the poor and delayed workmanship of appointed contractors. Projects such as the R709 Tweespruit–Excelsior road and the recently terminated R708 Clocolan–Marquard road are prime examples, as highlighted by SABC News on 27 October 2025. Wilken maintains that if the Department had heeded FSA’s call to appoint independent consulting engineers to manage and oversee these projects — as is international best practice — these failures could have been avoided.

“The continued reliance on cadre-deployed internal engineers once again lets the people down,” he says.

A further example of government failure is the R59 bypass near Viljoenskroon, where a 200m section flooded three years ago remains submerged. No work has yet commenced, and the costly detour through the town’s industrial area has left those roads in ruin. The cumbersome two-stage public procurement process, compounded by bureaucratic inefficiency and unaccountable senior officials, continues to erode public trust and fuel suspicions of corruption and capture.

While some successful projects have been completed and new ones launched, the broader picture remains bleak. “A trail of failed projects, poor management, and squandered funds — all under the banner of job creation — leaves little to celebrate this Transport Month,” says Wilken.

FSA is still awaiting a response to its Memorandum on Free State Roads, handed over to the MEC in February 2025. This document outlines systemic problems within the Departments of Community Safety, Roads and Transport, and Public Works, which have also been raised with the Free State Legislature through councilors and opposition parties. Yet, little progress has been made.

“As a result, communities suffer, economic growth is stifled, and criminal syndicates tighten their grip,” Wilken warns.

Farmers are now spending their own money to maintain critical rural roads, essential not only for their businesses but also for their families, workers, and surrounding communities to access schools and emergency services. This is unsustainable, diverting funds that could otherwise be invested to grow farms, the sector, and the Free State economy.

“As the main driver of economic growth in the province, our farmers feed the nation and provide over 70 000 real farming jobs in the Free State. If farming profitability continues to erode because of government ideology, more jobs will be lost, and food security will be threatened,” says Wilken.

Despite the challenges, FSA welcomes the progress seen on roads transferred to SANRAL, thanks to continued pressure from organised agriculture, and commends the InfrastructureSA pilot project identifying critical transport routes for priority action in the province.

“These are the positive developments we can acknowledge and celebrate as Transport Month draws to a close,” concludes Wilken.