In October, South Africans celebrate Transport Month, or should we rather say that South Africans acknowledge it? Our indispensable, but ailing transport infrastructure should be the veins through which our economy flows and grows, but these veins have been clocked by corruption, maladministration and neglect. Is our transport infrastructure in danger of causing cardiac arrest to our country?

According to Prof André Duvenhage, a political scientist at the North-West University (NWU), this just might be the case as South Africa’s outdated transport system is underprepared to deal with modern demands.

“Generally speaking, when it comes to infrastructure in South Africa, the country is facing a major challenge, and this extends directly into the area of transport. In short, our road systems were developed for a completely different context more than fifty or sixty years ago, and they were never designed to cope with the demands placed on them today. There are several key variables that we need to take into account. Firstly, Transnet is, to a large extent, not functioning effectively. As a result, heavy vehicles are making extensive use of our main road networks, causing significant deterioration and damage. Secondly, South Africa’s population has almost doubled over the past thirty years. When combined with relatively higher living standards over the same period, this has led to a dramatic increase in the number of private vehicles on the roads. Thirdly, maintenance remains a serious problem. In many areas, major roads are in a state of disrepair due to years of neglect,” he explains.

Prof Duvenhage also notes political factors that sometimes allow for road construction and maintenance contracts to be given to underqualified operators.

“Unfortunately, this has, in some cases, resulted in poorly executed projects that do not meet professional standards. The consequences are visible in provinces such as Mpumalanga, particularly around Witbank and Middelburg.”

He further states that: “At the local government level, the situation is equally concerning. Between 60% and 80% of municipalities are regarded as dysfunctional. This dysfunction means that many municipal roads are not being maintained at all. In numerous towns and cities, residents have resorted to mobilising their own funding and resources to repair roads. While this work is often not done professionally, people simply want a road that is drivable, and they are fully aware that the municipality or district will fail to deliver. This is precisely the situation in towns such as Potchefstroom.

“When it comes to transport in South Africa, we are facing serious, multi-dimensional challenges: high costs, poor road conditions, and worsening security issues, including incidents affecting freight and public transport.

Overall, the country’s infrastructure is in a phase of decay, and reversing this trend will not be easy.”

Until such a reversal, our economy may well need to keep the defibrillators close at hand.

Prof André Duvenhage