How KZN's R13.94 billion budget aims to transform the province's road network

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21-07-2026
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Independent on Saturday
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The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport (DoT) highlighted its plans for an infrastructure revolution when the 2026/2027 financial year budget was presented at the KZN Legislature on Thursday.

Siboniso Duma, the MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, spoke of a 10-point plan to address some of the challenges. The DoT has an overall budget of approximately R13.94 billion, with R9.2 billion allocated to transport infrastructure.

The plan includes a digital transport infrastructure system based on using cutting-edge technology to plan, build, maintain, and assess road conditions.

Duma said the planned use of artificial intelligence will assess traffic patterns, weather data, and predict potential structural issues on road conditions, guiding timely interventions.

The DoT also plans to accelerate the transition of the movement of goods from road to rail, halving the number of roads in very poor condition and accelerating the pothole repair programme.

Duma intends for his teams to complete the long-delayed road construction projects.

“The department will not hesitate to terminate the services of contractors that are failing to perform and blacklist contractors involved in fronting. We will establish an emerging contractor council to coordinate support for emerging contractors,” he said.

The DoT also intends to fast-track the entry of youth- and women-owned contractors into the construction sector.

Lastly, the DoT intends to strengthen the involvement of institutions of higher learning, the private sector, and civil society at large in developing an effective public transport system.

Duma said the reduction in the Provincial Roads Maintenance Grant to almost R2 billion over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) will significantly affect delivery momentum.

The DoT has identified priority flood-damaged roads for intervention in the current financial year. Several washaway roads in the eThekwini Metro have been identified. Other areas include uMdoni Municipality, KwaDukuza Municipality, and repairs to the Ray Nkonyeni and uMzimkhulu River bridges.

“We have set a target of completing these critical repairs within the current financial year. In this regard, an estimated budget of approximately R15.3 million has been set aside,” Duma said.

Riona Gokool, DA KZN MPL and spokesperson on Transport, acknowledged the difficult fiscal environment in which every provincial department now operates.

“Budget constraints cannot become an excuse for poor governance, weak planning, delayed implementation, or a lack of accountability. The department acknowledges that approximately 57% of KZN’s road network remains in poor to very poor condition, with a target of reducing this to 45% over five years. That means that today, more than half of our provincial roads are failing,” Gokool said.

She said the DoT has outlined an ambitious vision. “Now it must be delivered,” she added.

Gokool said the DA calls for the DoT to accelerate digital road asset management through modern condition monitoring technology, enabling data-driven maintenance planning.

Also, the DA calls for improved intergovernmental coordination so that provincial roads, municipal roads, and tourism infrastructure are planned together rather than in isolation.