The Mpumalanga delegation to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) has called for increased budget allocation for the construction and maintenance of road infrastructure in the province, as roads are a key element of economic development and service delivery.
The delegation spent the second day of the NCOP Provincial Week programme conducting oversight visits in Emakhazeni Local Municipality, where they visited projects including road infrastructure, human settlement developments and an agriculture empowerment programme. During the visit to the R540 road connecting Emakhazeni town and the popular tourist town of Dullstroom, the NCOP delegation was briefed by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) about the recently refurbished road and plans to upgrade about 200 km of road networks in the area, which were recently transferred from municipality to the SOE.
SANRAL officials told the delegation about plans to invest over R12 billion to upgrade road infrastructure in the province over the next three years. “The figures are informed by anticipated projects in the province, others are at the procurement stage, while there are some that are in various stages of construction,” said Mr Sinenkosi Dlamini, provincial Operations and Maintenance Manager for SANRAL in Mpumalanga. The national roads agency is assisting municipalities in the province through Operation Vala Zonke, a national intervention programme of the Department of Transport aimed at fixing potholes countrywide.
The Executive Mayor of Emakhazeni Local Municipality, Ms Nomhle Mashele, celebrated SANRAL’s intervention and said that good roads will attract more visitors to the area’s tourism attractions, boosting the municipality’s economy. Mr Oupa Pilane, a representative of Mpumalanga Tourism, commended SANRAL and the province for their partnership in fixing the roads and told the NCOP that domestic tourism had dropped drastically due to potholes in the area. However, he said the numbers are expected to peak this coming December holiday season after the road is refurbished. He said many facilities are already fully booked for next month. “After the road was refurbished, the number of travellers has risen again. This is proof that the road network is key to the tourism sector,” said Mr Pilane. The R540 road is an artery that links the Mpumalanga Panorama route, Hoedspruit and the world-renowned Kruger National Park.
The MEC for Public Works, Roads and Transport, Mr Thulasizwe Thomo, appealed to the NCOP to use the parliamentary budget process to advocate for increased allocation for the province to be able to address its infrastructure needs. “Roads are arteries to economic stimulation and job creation, and the allocation we are getting as a department is inadequate. We need more money to maintain our roads,” he said.
The Acting Leader of the Mpumalanga NCOP delegation, Mr Patrick Sibande, also shared views about the importance of road infrastructure in economic development. “Roads link communities to centres of economy. They are key elements of service delivery and economic development, and it is important that the government allocates adequate resources for maintenance to keep our roads in a good state at all times,” said Mr Sibande.
Sakhile Mokoena
20 November 2025
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