The government spent R400 million to fix a road which remains in a poor state seven years later

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01-06-2026
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Newsday
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The R76 route has been under repair for 7 years and has already cost taxpayers more than R400 million. However, the road surface is still not properly fixed.

This is feedback from Armand Cloete, a Freedom Front Plus Member of the Provincial Legislature in the Free State.

He shared details about the controversial R76 route linking Kroonstad and Steynsrus, which has been undergoing repairs for years.

Repairs to the R76 began in 2019 and were originally scheduled for completion in 2022. After years of delays and maladministration, the project remains incomplete.

The initial contract of approximately R271 million, awarded to the contractor Sedtrade, became mired in controversy.

The work on repairing the road dragged on for years, and the road surface began to crumble in several places.

The project eventually came to a standstill in 2023 following disputes between the contractor and the Free State Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport.

A new contract of approximately R146 million has since been awarded, pushing the total cost of the project to more than R400 million.

Despite spending such a large amount of money, residents and motorists must still contend with a dangerous and poor-quality road.

The Freedom Front Plus referred the matter to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in 2023, but not much has happened since then.

“We will keep demanding answers regarding the sheer squandering of taxpayers’ money, poor contract management and the lack of accountability,” Cloete said.

“The mismanagement of this project forced farmers and residents to shell out and pay for temporarily repairing the worst potholes.”

“It is an absolute disgrace that communities themselves have to try and keep critical infrastructure functional.”