VI. Budget & Treasury
3.2 KPA 2: BASIC SERVICE DELIVERY .1 INFRASTRUCTURE
3.2.1.1 Municipal Roads
The provision and maintenance of roads cuts across the functional areas of the Department of Roads and Public Works, the Amathole District Municipality and the Mbhashe Local Municipality. The total length of road network in the entire municipal area is 1862.4 km. The total length of unpaved roads is 1838.06 km and 30.2km of paved roads, 40.5 km is national route of which annually about 960 km of gravel road and 50km surfaced road need routine maintenance.
Mbhashe Municipality comprises of three towns namely Dutywa, Willowvale, and Elliotdale. Elliotdale and Willowvale areas are located along the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt as described in the locality map, which is major tourism destination in Mbhashe Municipal
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Area. The road leading to these destinations areas is gravel which requires heavy maintenance as they are in rainy areas.
There are other provincial roads leading to rural hospitals namely Madwaleni, Zithulele, Thafalehashe and Mjanyana, which also require major upgrades and rehabilitation. As a result of poor road network, communities experience difficulties in accessing health facilities and schools.
Mbhashe Municipality is rich with heritage and there are main routes leading heritage sites but roads are in bad state which limits visits by tourists.
The responsible directorate for development and maintenance of roads infrastructure is Infrastructure Services which consists of two sub directorates, namely Project Management Unit (PMU) and Infrastructure Maintenance Unit.
Mbhashe municipality is a MIG receiving municipality through the establishment of PMU sub directorate which is responsible for implementing infrastructure capital projects, construction of roads and stormwater, public community facilities, sport facilities, LED facilities etc. PMU is working under a three year capital plan that is abstracted from the IDP of which its budget is also reflected in the IDP (See project list of the three year Capital Plan). Allocation for 2014/2015 financial year is R54m and the indicative figure for the next financial years 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 is R54m and R56m respectively. In 2013/14 FY there was a rollover of R20 Million which added to 2014/2015 financial year.
As per DORA requirements, PMU sub directorate planned to implement sport field facilities from 2015/16 financial year in ward 13, 25 and 1. The main objective of building sport facilities is to encourage youth to participate in all sport activities as way of limiting crime rate within Mbhashe Municipal Area and also to improve sport talent
The Municipality currently does not have Infrastructure Master Plan however; budget has been committed from equitable share to develop these plans in 2014/2015 financial year.
During 2014/2015 financial year Mbhashe Municipality developed a Roads Maintenance Plan. The plan was to establish roads maintenance team per unit and to ensure that each unit has its own plant as to fast-track the process of eliminating roads backlog. During 2014/2015 budget allocation, the municipality committed funds for the purchase of roads machines. The delivery of all the machines is expected before the end of 2014/2015
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financial year. It is also important to note that some of capital project will be implemented internally once all machines are delivered.
The key functions of roads maintenance team are:
I. Record keeping of existing and newly developed roads
II. Scheduling of routine and periodic maintenance of road network
III. Maintaining stores, plant & equipment and use them optimally to attain maximum service delivery to communities
IV. Management of internal funding for all roads maintenance activities.
V. Development of Management Information System (for reporting and updating status of Road Network) and identifying backlogs and planning eradication of backlogs.
VI. Planning, Budgeting, Implementing budgeted works and Reporting.
VII. Build capacity in operating and maintaining Road Network
CHALLENGES
I. Mbhashe Municipality is facing huge challenges in eradicating roads backlogs due to limited funding. The municipality is only relying on grants for the development of roads infrastructure.
II. Mbhashe Municipality has limited funding for operations and maintenance of developed infrastructure, especially the maintenance of municipal roads, which are mainly, constructed under Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) funding and other infrastructure conditional grants.
III. The constructed roads are deteriorating due to failure in routine maintenance and thereby shortening the life span, demanding new construction and or major rehabilitation which deter further development of municipal infrastructure.
IV. Infrastructure Services Directorate doesn’t have offices; the working environment is not conducive as the directorate is operating in park homes offices.
V. Shortage of certified plant operators.
VI. Low expenditure on MIG due institutional challenges from previous financial years, e.g., slow SCM processes, vacant posts for critical positions, poor monitoring of projects and contract administration, social and political issues etc.
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VII. Need for Major rehabilitation of both internal streets and main roads in Elliotdale and Willowvale. And the one that connects from N2 via Clarkburry which a provincial road is in bad condition and needs to be rehabilitated.
VIII. There is a slow progress by DRPW on the upgrade of the provincial road from Elliotdale to Madwaleni.
IX. There are delays by DRPW on the appointment of the contractor for phase I in Willowvale which leads to a delay in the implementation of Willowvale to Dwesa.
The project was planned three (3) years ago and to date no action has taken in terms of implementation.
.Remedial Actions
I. The municipality has purchased plant to implement some of capital project internally as way of eradicating roads backlog.
II. Each unit to have fully fleshed roads maintenance team with all the necessary equipment and machines. The aim is to reach all the villages under Mbhashe without traveling long distances.
III. Infrastructure Services is planning to develop standard roads manual for the quality of pavement material that can last longer and delay the maintenance period.
IV. Infrastructure Services Offices are in the project list planned to be implemented from 2015/2016 to 2016/2017 financial years. PMU has appointed panel of Professional Services Provider in different categories namely, Civil, Building and Environmental to reduce the planning and procurement processes.
V. The organogram for the municipality has been reviewed and approved by the Council. The vacant posts for operators will be advertised as per the HR Policy.
The supplier of the plant also offers accredited training to all drivers and new operators.
VI. During 2014/2015 financial year PMU Manager, 2 PMU Technicians 2 ISD Officers and 1 Quantity Surveyor have been appointed.
VII. Lobbying of funds from Planning & Provincial Treasury
VIII. To have continuous interaction with Department of Roads Public & Works together with Planning & Provincial Treasury
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