By Emily Setona
QWAQWA – A R3.58 billion budget pitched as a catalyst for growth and service delivery has ignited a fierce political clash in the Free State Legislature, with opposition parties warning that government promises continue to outpace delivery on the ground.
Tabling the Department of Community Safety, Roads and Transport budget at the Bluegumbosch Multipurpose Hall on 28 April, MEC Jabu Mbalula framed the allocation as a people-centred intervention aimed at tackling infrastructure decay, safety concerns and economic stagnation.
“I rise before this House today to table a Budget that speaks directly to the heartbeat of our people,” Mbalula said, positioning the plan as a driver of “inclusive development” and economic activity.
At the centre of the budget is a R2.2 billion injection into roads and transport infrastructure — a move government argues will unlock mobility, improve market access and stimulate local economies, particularly in rural nodes such as QwaQwa.
Road upgrades and rural bridge projects are expected to anchor this strategy.
But opposition parties delivered a scathing rebuttal, arguing that the province’s infrastructure crisis tells a very different story.
African Transformation Congress MPL Mamikie Mkhabela accused the department of “planning without pace and allocating without accountability,” citing stalled projects and persistent procurement delays.
“On paper there is progress, but communities are still trapped in poor road conditions, rising safety risks and unfinished projects,” she said.
Freedom Front Plus MPL Armand Cloete warned that deteriorating roads are directly undermining economic productivity, particularly in the agricultural sector where reliable transport routes are critical.
“We see contractors come and go without completing projects, with no consequences. The cost is borne by residents and businesses,” Cloete said.
Beyond infrastructure, opposition benches also challenged the department’s claims on community safety, pointing to continued crime pressures and high road fatality rates as evidence of weak implementation.
Mbalula, however, pushed back, highlighting completed projects, ongoing maintenance programmes and job creation efforts.
He said more than 4,100 work opportunities were created in the past financial year — surpassing targets — and pointed to township revitalisation and contractor development initiatives as signs of progress.
Yet the debate exposed a widening credibility gap between policy ambition and execution.
While government insists the budget lays a foundation for growth, critics argue that without tighter oversight, faster delivery and consequence management, investment will fail to translate into tangible economic gains.
With unemployment, poverty and infrastructure backlogs still weighing heavily on the province, the test now shifts from the legislature to the ground: whether billions allocated will rebuild roads, restore safety and unlock opportunity — or remain, as detractors warn, a blueprint that looks better on paper than in people’s daily lives.
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GreaterHarrismith/ Tshiame/ Makgolokoeng/ Letsitsa Village New Township Establishment were again Reconsidered as we remain ignored and isolated as Never part of the Dysfunctional Maluti a Phofung Municipality for the wasted past +25 years of hardships and sufferings