Page 547 - Provincial Treasury Estimates.pdf

Estimates of the Provincial Revenue and Expenditure (EPRE) – 2023/24 Financial Year
conducted, which is below the envisioned target due to the shortage in the supply of blood kits required to

conduct the operation. 1 802 Speed operations have been conducted and 14 965 vehicles have been
weighed, thus contributing to safe mobility of road users. The department aims at responding to the
increasing vehicle population versus the understaffed Traffic Fraternity and has appointed 30 Traffic

Officers who have resumed duty on 1 February 2023. On the problematic routes, this has been part of the
implementation of the 24/2 Shift System, which are Aliwal North N6, Cradock R61/N10, Graaff Reinet R61,

Humansdorp N2, Ngcobo R61, Pakade N2 and Mbizana R61. Plans are in place for conducting Long
Service Recognition Awards, as a means of motivating traffic officers in the fraternity.

Through the Community Based Programme, the provision of work opportunities and income support to the

poor and unemployed remains a priority for the department. 35 920 for women, 5 929 youth and
386 persons with disabilities as per EPWP Phase 4 have been achieved, against the planned targets of
34 497 women, 18 973 youth and 690 persons living with disabilities, respectively. The Contractor
Development Programme has contracted 400 NYS Learners and 100 artisans and overall the department

has created 31 390 work opportunities through EPWP Interventions, against the target of 33 965.

2.2 Key challenges

Extreme weather conditions due to climate change caused serious disruptions in the implementation of
infrastructure projects and the overall state of infrastructure in the province. The extreme rainfall

experienced in the province which has been causing sporadic flood disasters has been a serious inhibitor
in the progress made against the maintenance and upgrading of the provincial roads network. A number
of the infrastructure projects under implementation in the department are delayed due to these adverse

weather conditions. Infrastructure that has either been upgraded or maintained is often also adversely
affected thus requiring more funding in the already shrinking fiscus; to either reconstruct or perform

increased frequency of maintenance.

There is an increasing number of contractors that are poorly performing thus compromising the quality of
infrastructure projects, completion time and leading to cost overruns. A number of contractors are
experiencing financial constraints thus leading to non-availability of resources for project completion.

Due to savings realised in the 2020/21 financial year as a result of COVID19 restrictions, which resulted

in the increase for the number of learners transported, the department increased the number of learners
ferried from 103 000 to 125 543 learners in 2021/22. The department has however, not been able to

decrease the number of learners ferried to the 103 000 targeted for implementation, thus resulting in over
spending of the allocated budget. The department is currently ferrying 125 206 learners in 2022/23.

Regarding the completion of the construction of the Mthatha Airport fire station initially planned to be

completed in July 2023, the department has been experiencing delays with the plans and rezoning of the
land where the airport has been built in order for construction to commence. The matter has been resolved
and Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has been requested to commence with the
construction. Works permits have been issued, however due to delays in the commencement of works

and the festive break, completion of the project will be delayed as well and anticipated completion has

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