Road Repair Funds Dry Up: Free State Farmers Forced to Foot the Bill

“One third into the government’s financial year and project funds are already depleted, leaving only enough to cover the Department’s bloated, top-heavy staffing structure.”

This is according to Francois Wilken, President of Free State Agriculture (FSA), who says that despite repeated pleas from farmers, no new lower-level employees such as pick-and-shovel workers or grader operators have been appointed. Farmers are left with no choice but to hire retired grader operators at their own cost to keep critical rural roads passable.

The state of the Department’s finances was confirmed following the stalling of the Clocolan–Marquard road project and setbacks in the highly praised pothole repair initiatives driven by the Wesselsbron and Senekal Farmers’ Associations in partnership with the Central University of Technology (CUT).

In its official response, the Department stated: “The central issue is unfortunately related to budget constraints. At present, the Department does not have sufficient funds to address all urgent road maintenance needs across the province. This is not unique to the CUT programme, as all capital projects are being affected due to limited budget allocations. We kindly request patience and cooperation while we prioritise the most critical work.”

While the Department expressed appreciation for collaboration from stakeholders, Wilken warned at a meeting along the Lesotho border on 29 September that farmers can no longer bear the financial burden of repairing state infrastructure that serves the broader community.

“Farmers’ financials are under tremendous pressure. Even where the agricultural value chain contributes towards road repair projects, the costs ultimately filter back to the farmer through higher input prices. This is not sustainable,” Wilken said.

The Free State has been identified as a pilot site for an InfrastructureSA project funded by National Treasury and coordinated by AgBiz and AgriSA. A survey (see https://roads.agrisa.io/) to map out critical transport routes of economic importance in need of urgent repair has been launched.

FSA has welcomed progress made on provincial roads that have been transferred to SANRAL and confirmed that it will continue to engage constructively on this front. With the rainy season looming—when poorly maintained roads rapidly deteriorate—FSA has also pledged to help coordinate the allocation of whatever resources remain within the Department, such as drainpipes, gravel and tar, to communities where farmers are still able to implement the repairs themselves.

However, Wilken stressed that the systemic problems within the Department cannot be ignored:

“Year after year, road project budgets collapse under the weight of mismanagement. Prioritising new contractor development and EPWP job creation over accredited contractors with proven track records, long procurement delays, and the practice of middlemen siphoning off tender funds are all compounding the crisis. These issues are now landing the Department in increasing legal disputes.”

FSA is still awaiting a response to its memorandum handed over to the MEC in February, in which these very issues were raised.