The South African province with roads violating human rights

The poor road infrastructure in the Eastern Cape (EC) has been labelled a human rights violation by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC).

Due to neglect and a severe backlog in maintenance, these roads are littered with potholes and other hazards that make traversing them slow and dangerous.

The dilapidated arteries in the province’s rural heartland cause many headaches for residents of the areas. Ambulances are sometimes unable to reach sick patients, children can’t get to school, and washed-out roads cut off entire villages which forces families to go without food.

It has also diminished employment opportunities for inhabitants of these rural communities.

The EC Department of Transport (ECDoT) confirmed that the condition of the roads is a concern, with a significant portion of its 42,000km network being in poor condition, with no roads rated as “very good” since 1996.

A proliferation of human rights violations

Dr Eileen Carter, Provincial Manager of the SAHRC in the EC, told Newzroom Afrika that the entity discovered large-scale neglect of the historical backlog in maintenance of the province’s road infrastructure.

Perhaps more worryingly, it determined that where other provinces within South Africa are at a 25% paving average with regard to their roads, the EC is sitting at 9%.

The SAHRC found that only 3,808km of roads are paved in the EC, compared to a staggering 36,345km that remains unpaved. This disparity is a significant concern, particularly in a province where the road network is critical for accessing remote rural areas and delivering essential services.

Carter noted that these shortcomings have led to a “proliferation of human rights violations.”

“Unless there is a direction intervention, in our view from National Treasury, in order to eradicate this backlog and bring the Eastern Cape from 9% up to 25% to meet the other provinces where they are, there’s going to be a continuance of human rights violations within the province,” said Carter.

EC Road Maintenance Budget Allocation Per District

The Democratic Alliance highlighted that budget cuts are exacerbating the problems in the country’s second-biggest province.

The EC saw a R220-million decrease in its maintenance budget in recent years which has rendered it unable to service all its roads.

Meanwhile, the ECDoT said it would require an estimated R30.5 billion just to service the maintenance backlog by itself.

An additional R17.2 billion would be required to re-gravel unpaved roads, while paved roads need a further R48 billion to undergo a comprehensive reseal/patch rehabilitation programme.

However, the department only has an annual budget allocation of around R700 million, allowing it to address some 42km of roads a year at an average of R18 million per kilometre.

It thus estimates that addressing the backlog alone would take roughly 25 years, meaning if it starts today, the backlog would be eliminated in 2050.

The entity has developed a four-category plan to clear the remaining work, focusing first on maintaining existing infrastructure before expanding and building new ones.

The main areas of concern include improving scholar transport and maintaining access to essential services including hospitals, schools, and tourism sites.