Call for maintenance of ‘neglected’ roads in Tzaneen
The DA in the Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality [GTM], Limpopo, has demanded an increased road maintenance allocation in the 2026/27 municipal budget, in which they say 90% of roads in Tzaneen are affected by potholes and structural deterioration.
The party says the roads are a core municipal responsibility, and their maintenance is non-negotiable.
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DA Councillor in the Greater Tzaneen Municipality, Chrizelle Dreyer, says the situation is made worse by a shortage of manpower and a lack of basic plant and equipment, leaving the Municipality unable to carry out even basic repairs.
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“An estimated 90% of roads in Tzaneen are affected by potholes and structural deterioration,” said Dreyer.
“Many residential roads are no longer fully usable. Entire lanes have effectively collapsed in some areas, damaging vehicles and forcing residents to reroute daily.
“Yet the ANC-led Municipality continues to focus on limited maintenance in the CBD, effectively abandoning residential communities.”
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The party also says the draft budget confirms the problem is that maintenance is underfunded, spending is skewed toward politically visible functions, and essential infrastructure is being wilfully allowed to collapse.
However, Greater Tzaneen Municipality spokesperson Neville Ndlala has rubbished the statement by the DA, saying the municipality has been hard at work fixing the roads.
“The Greater Tzaneen Local Municipality notes the statement issued by the DA and rejects the misleading narrative that seeks to create the impression that no work is being done to address road infrastructure challenges,” said Ndlala.
“The GTM acknowledges that road maintenance remains a key priority and a real challenge largely due to historical backlogs, funding constraints and more recently resistant rainfall that has affected road conditions and delayed maintenance operations.”
