Government spent R28 million on pothole repair machines – that haven’t fixed a single pothole

In 2021, the South African government spent R28 million on 90 machines to fix potholes. These machines have still not repaired a single pothole, five years later.

This was revealed by Angie Motshekga, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, during a parliamentary Q&A.

Motshekga was asked by MP Carl Niehaus for details on the ineffective use of pothole machines, otherwise known as rollers or compactors.

Niehaus said that the department used a substantial amount of taxpayer money to buy these machines, which were supposed to benefit military veterans and improve service delivery.

The minister answered, confirming that the procurement value for the 90 rollers the department acquired was R27.796 million.

Despite spending all this money, the pothole repair project has not been implemented since the machines were procured back in 2021.

“This is because there is no visible project implementation plan that would have informed the procurement process,” she said.

“As per the departmental records, no funds were budgeted or spent by the department on training related to repairs of potholes.”

The department has since referred the matter to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) for an in-depth investigation and the recovery of funds.

“The relationship between the department and the SIU is regularised by a Secondment Agreement between the two parties,” she said.

“Since the matter is still under investigation, these machines are regarded as evidence and, therefore, cannot be used without authorisation by the investigators.”

Niehaus alleged that the pothole machines were illegally rented out to other parties, adding that certain individuals within the Department of Defence and Military Veterans enriched themselves through the process.

Motshekga said she was not aware of anyone using the department’s roller drum machines. “If you are aware of such officials renting out the machines for their own benefit, I will be very pleased to receive such information,” she said.

“During the recent asset verification and inspection, the Department’s Internal Asset Management Unit reported that machines are intact and under safe storage.”

Private sector taking over pothole repairs in South Africa

While the government has yet to use the 90 pothole repair machines it acquired, several actors in South Africa’s private sector are taking matters into their own hands.

In 2021, the same year that the government procured its rollers, Discovery launched its Pothole Patrol initiative, which has since repaired over 350,000 road hazards.

Pothole Patrol is a public-private partnership between Discovery Insure, the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), the City of Johannesburg, and Avis Southern Africa.

In the five years since it launched, Pothole Patrol has used more than 100 tonnes of asphalt to repair more than 86,000 square metres of road surface in and around South Africa’s financial hub.

It employs a team of 40 people operating from eight repair vehicles, who attend to potholes reported by motorists on roads around Johannesburg.

Discovery launched the programme after the insurer conducted an analysis of more than 22 billion kilometres of driving data, concluding that poor road conditions were a growing risk for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Adrian Gore, Group Chief Executive of Discovery, said the initiative demonstrates what is possible when business, government and residents work together to solve practical problems at scale.

“Fixing potholes may seem like a small intervention, but it has meaningful downstream effects. Fewer potholes lead to fewer accidents, lower insurance claims and a reduced maintenance burden on the City.”

Residents can download the free Discovery Pothole Patrol app to report potholes. Over 90,000 cases have been logged on the system since it was launched.