Evert du Plessis Archives

October 27, 2022October 27, 2022

DA to assess the poorly maintained R101 Road in Tshwane

Tomorrow, Friday, 28 October 2022, the Democratic Alliance (DA), Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport, Fred Nel MPL, the DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Roads and Transport, Evert Du Plessis MPL and DA Ward 96 Tshwane Councillor, Ge Breytenbach, will be conducting an oversight inspection to the R101 road in Tshwane.

The volume of traffic has increased tremendously because it is the main road linking Hammanskraal and the Tshwane CBD. In addition, heavy-duty trucks also use this road to avoid the toll road putting added strain on the road surface.

This road is in terrible condition, and motorists using this road routinely have their tyres damaged. There is also a high number of pedestrians who use this road.

During our oversight inspection, we will also determine if any work has been done to upgrade this road and if new road markings and signs have been erected.

Date: 28 October 2022
Time: 9am
Address: R101, Bonaccord Spar

October 12, 2022October 12, 2022

#Let’sGetGautengMoving: DA to assess measures put in place to deal with corruption at Xavier Junction DLTC

Tomorrow, Thursday, 13 October 2022, the Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng Shadow MEC for Roads and Transport, Fred Nel MPL, the DA Gauteng Spokesperson for Roads and Transport, Evert Du Plessis MPL, will be conducting an oversight inspection at the Xavier Junction Driver’s Licence and Testing Centre (DLTC), Mondeor, Johannesburg.

Earlier this year, two people were arrested at this DLTC for selling driver’s licences. During our oversight inspection, we will be assessing what measures have been put in place to deal with bribery and corruption.

In addition, we will also engage with the management of the DLTC to find out what impact load-shedding has had on their operations and, if they have any backup generators in place as well as how they are dealing with driver’s licence backlog.

Our residents deserve to have DLTCs that are free from corruption and render adequate services. This will ensure that our only drivers who have fulfilled all the requirements of obtaining a licence are issued with a driver’s licence, and it will reduce the number of fatalities on the roads.

The media is invited and there will be an opportunity for interviews and photographs.

Details of the oversight visit are as follows:

Date: 13 October 2022
Time: 10am
Address: 5 Rente St, Ormonde, Johannesburg South, 2091

September 26, 2022September 26, 2022

Unemployment rate continues to soar, yet the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport fails to meet job creation targets

With at least 2 515 000 unemployed Gauteng residents it is very disappointing that the provincial department of Roads and Transport has once again failed to meet its target of creating 1 453 jobs as part of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP).

Given the current economic situation, and the rise in the cost of basic goods and services, programmes like the EPWP play a crucial role in clamping down on unemployment in this province.

According to the first quarterly report for the 2022/2023 financial year, the department only managed to employ 879 people as part of the EPWP programme.

EPWP programmes equip our unemployed residents with much-needed skills that will enable them to seek gainful employment.

There is a lack of political will from this department to ensure that all targets set for the financial year are met.

The Western Cape DA-led government has managed to create 3253 work opportunities in the Department of Public Works and Roads as part of its target for the 2021/2022 fourth quarter. The initial target set was 2452.

The only way in which this current situation can be changed is if our residents come out in their numbers in 2024 and vote the ANC-led government out of power.

The DA will continue to put pressure on this department to start meeting its targets as a matter of urgency. Furthermore, the department should liaise with their counterparts in the Western Cape to ascertain what measures are put in place to ensure the targets set to create work opportunities for our unemployed residents are met.

Our residents deserve a government that is committed to ensuring that job opportunities are created on an ongoing basis and that they have access to skills development programmes that will help them to either become entrepreneurs or find long-term employment in the future.

April 6, 2022April 6, 2022

Gauteng Roads and Transport underspends by R334 419 000 while the province’s roads are littered with potholes

Residents of Gauteng are being subjected to endless potholes and bad road conditions on provincial roads like the road between Carletonville and Ventersdorp and the R559 which leads from Randfontein onto the R501, yet the Department of Roads and Transport in the province has underspent on its third quarter budget by R334 419 000,00 for the 2021/2022 financial year.

See pictures here, here, here and here

The residents who use public and private transport are suffering due to poor roads conditions as well as a spike in transport costs.

This information was revealed in the department’s third quarter report for the 2021/2022 financial year.

When our road surfaces are in a poor condition and littered with potholes motor vehicle owners are at a huge risk of damaging their vehicles and claiming for the damages from their insurance.

If motorists claim from their insurance on a regular basis, they will be flagged as high risk and therefore their premiums will increase.

The department is clearly not utilising the budget it is given to ensure that maintenance is done on an ongoing basis as there is a huge challenge with regards to storm water drainage.

Our fatality rate on the roads as well as vehicle accidents will be greatly reduced if the department puts proper plans in place to ensure that its’ full budget is spent timeously and effectively.

The state of our roads will only get worse, especially when there is heavy torrential rain in our province which can potentially cover potholes causing vehicles to be badly damaged and possibly causing an accident.

Through the mechanisms in place at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, I will be demanding answers from the MEC for Roads and Transport, Jacob Mamabolo on how exactly this department will be ensuring that its budget is utilised and that our roads are properly maintained so that our residents can have access to roads that are in tip top condition.

March 30, 2022March 30, 2022

25 vehicles per day roadworthy test cap inconveniences motorists

Gauteng motorists are being severely inconvenienced by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport’s protocol which only allows 25 vehicles per day to be tested for roadworthiness.

Motorists who want to procure a roadworthy certificate for their vehicle are unable to do so in a timeous manner because of the current cap on how many vehicles may be tested per day.

The DA has received numerous queries from members of the public regarding what the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport is doing about the current cap and backlog.

Both public and private testing stations have been working on a first come first serve basis since the Covid-19 lockdown was implemented two years ago. Furthermore, it is distressing to note that the Gauteng Provincial Government is unable to give us a true picture of how bad the backlog currently is.

During a recent sitting at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, the DA asked questions about why the cap is still in place despite the fact that the majority of lockdown regulations have been lifted.

In his reply, the MEC for Roads and Transport Jacob Mamabolo stated that the National Department of Transport has pronounced minimum testing time standards and all the other standards that relate to Covid-19 protocols. According to MEC Mamabolo, once the National Department grants permission to implement the minimum standards then the cap will be lifted.

With the upcoming Easter Weekend approaching there will be a large number of vehicles moving in and out of the province and the current cap on how many vehicles are tested on a day could lead to residents resorting to driving their cars without the necessary roadworthy certificate.

The DA will continue to demand that this cap be lifted and will be engaging with the MEC of Transport on this matter as we cannot have a situation where there are unroadworthy vehicles on our roads. This poses a huge danger to other motorists and pedestrians and has the potential to increase the number of fatalities on our roads.

January 10, 2022January 10, 2022

West Rand District: Municipality at risk of being put under administration

It is has now become very clear that there is absolutely nothing honourable about how MEC Lebogang Maile fails to ensure that all municipalities in the province, particularly the District Municipalities, are run in an open and transparent manner.

On the 10th December 2021 I tried to raise the manner in which delegates from the Rand West City Local Municipality were elected to serve on the West Rand District Municipality in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature through a member statement. However, my attempt to do so failed due to the ineptitude of the Legislature Chairperson.

During the election process earlier this month, the Speaker of the Rand West City Local Municipality produced his own ballot box and ballot papers when the council met, as he was not happy with the delegates elected through a voting process overseen by the IEC.

It has now emerged through social media posts, that because the West Rand District Municipality failed to be properly constituted by the 17 December 2021, the MEC for Cooperative Governance can now appoint an administrator to run the District Municipality.

When the DA was still in the process of electing its Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMC), the MEC was very vocal on this issue, but now that it is own party that has failed to follow due process, he is mum on the matter.

It is evident that this is not democracy at work as residents are now not being properly represented by their chosen political party in the West Rand District Municipality.

The DA will not rest until this matter is resolved in order for our residents to receive proper service delivery from local government. Our residents don’t deserve these continued petty political games that hampers proper service delivery in the West Rand.

May 30, 2021May 30, 2021

Gauteng roads in atrocious state while residents fork out thousands on vehicle maintenance

It is extremely concerning that our roads are in an atrocious state while the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport has underspent by R1.3 billion during the 2020/21 financial year. Residents in the province are forced to spend thousands of rand on vehicle maintenance due to damage by potholes and the general lack of maintenance of roads.

According to the fourth quarterly report of the department, R512 million was underspent for the quarter, bringing the total amount of underspending to R1.3 billion for the previous financial year. Underspending occurred in various programmes and the department has used Covid-19 as a scapegoat. This is unacceptable as this underspending occurred during the fourth quarter while the country is operating as normal with the various Covid-19 protocols in place. This means that by now the department should have these measures in place to ensure that critical programmes do not grind to a halt.

For this quarter, the department has failed to meet its target to visually assess 4,571km of surface road. No gravelled roads were visually assessed, yet a target of 1,359km was set. Furthermore, only 50 out of 100 construction and NMT jobs were created through the implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) created, while zero EPWP Rehabilitation Job Opportunities were created against a target of 20. The department says this was not created due to the cancellation of tender P73/1 and Covid-19 national lockdown regulations.

Covid-19 has had far reaching implications on our economy and any more delays in ensuring that programmes within this department that are not only meant to create jobs, but to also ensure that our roads are properly maintained will be detrimental to the province which is also the economic hub of the country. Our roads are littered with potholes, which have not been fixed by this department.

This department should have by the third and fourth quarter of the financial year, adapted their programmes to ensure that the budget is utilized properly. With underspending by such a large amount, the department is at risk of losing additional funding come the next financial year.

Where we govern in the Western Cape our roads are maintained on a regular basis and the allocated budget is spent where it is needed the most. A Democratic Alliance (DA) government will ensure that all the Covid-19 protocols are put in place, so that service delivery can continue uninterrupted.

The DA will continue to put pressure on the MEC for Roads and Transport, Jacob Mamabolo to ensure that the targets which were not met for this past financial year and which rolled over into the current financial year, are met. The only people who are on the losing end are the residents who are already cashed-strapped and cannot afford to spend the little they have on additional maintenance on vehicles or on increased public transport costs. It is unacceptable that our residents who are unemployed are not being given a fair opportunity to earn a living simply because government is unable to implement proper Covid-19 protocols.

April 1, 2021April 1, 2021

75% vacancy rate for Gauteng Roads and Transport Department, while potholes continue to multiply like gremlins

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will be tabling questions to the MEC for Roads and Transport, Jacob Mamabolo regarding the Department’s concerning 75% operation capacity due to unfilled vacancies.

This information was revealed in Department’s annual report for the 2019/20 financial year.

According to the report, the Senior Management Service (SMS) had a vacancy rate of 18% by March 2020, due to the Department lacking a sufficient compensation budget, while there were 76 critical occupations left vacant.

This is concerning considering the department underspent on its budget to the tune of R627 million.

Critical vacancies in this department must be filled as a matter of urgency and the serious under spending by this department that has become the norm, must be addressed if we are to ensure that projects undertaken by the department are completed on time and that the maintenance of our roads, especially with the ever growing number of potholes, are completed on a regular basis.

Political leadership is vital to steer the Department in the right direction so that road infrastructure service delivery can be effectively and optimally rolled out.

July 22, 2015

DA to Make Submissions to MDB in Westonaria

This morning, 22 July 2015, DA Westonaria Chief Whip, Cllr Piet de Jager, fellow DA Westonaria councillors and DA activists will attend and make submissions to the Municipal Demarcation Board at its public participation meeting regarding the proposed formation of a metropolitan municipality.

Date: 22 July 2015

Time: 10:00

Venue: Banquet Hall, Westonaria

There will be opportunities for interviews and photographs. Members of the media are welcome to attend.

Media enquiries:

Cllr Piet de Jager

083 627 5105

Evert du Plessis

DA Gauteng West Rand Regional Chairperson

082 870 2768

July 21, 2015

DA to Make Submissions to MDB in Randfontein

This morning, 21 July 2015, DA Gauteng West Rand Regional Chairperson, Evert du Plessis, DA members of the Randfontein local council and DA activists will attend and make submissions to the Municipal Demarcation Board at its public participation meeting regarding the proposed formation of a metropolitan municipality.

Date: 21 July 2015