Cape Town – South Africa’s transport minister Fikile Mbalula has slammed former finance minister Tito Mboweni for blaming one of his department’s entities, the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL), over its failure to repair potholes.
Mboweni said he was travelling between Mbombela in Mpumalanga and Magoebaskloof in Limpopo when he experienced potholes that allegedly doubled his journey time over the weekend.
Taking to Twitter, Mboweni wrote: “Today I drove for 4 hours on the R40 and R71 for 4 hours from Nelspruit to Makgobaskloof. A journey that should have been 2 hours. Why? Potholes! SANRAL!!!”.
Today I drove for 4 hours on the R40 and R71 for 4 hours from Nelspruit to Makgobaskloof. A journey that should have been 2 hours. Why? Potholes! SANRAL!!!
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) February 13, 2022
Mbalula quickly chimed in, correcting Mboweni and saying that the R40 road is not maintained by SANRAL but rather maintained by the province through the grant that is allocated to them.
Mbalula further offered his assistance, saying that he will be relaying the concern to the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces so that they can attend to it.
“R40 is not maintained by sanral is maintained by the province through the grant we allocate to them. We will immediately report to the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces to fix the road,” wrote Mbalula in a tweet.
R40 is not maintained by sanral is maintained by the province through the grant we allocate to them. We will immediately report to the limpopo and mpumalanga provinces to fix the road.
— FIKILE MBALULA | MR FIX (@MbalulaFikile) February 14, 2022
However, Mbalula did not stop there. He used the opportunity to take a shot at the former minister, saying he shouldn’t act as if he doesn’t know about the problems he left SANRAL with during his tenure.
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“Besides you know our issues Former minister of finance you left unresolved which affect sanral balance sheet, Don’t suffer from amnesia now. Now that you have a platform to speak as a free soul for a few likes and retweets,” tweeted Mbalula.
Besides you kno our issues Former minister of finance you left unresolved wich affect sanral balance sheet,Dont suffer from amnesia now. Now that you have a platform to speak as a free soul for a few likes and retweets.
— FIKILE MBALULA | MR FIX (@MbalulaFikile) February 14, 2022
Tweeps quickly weighed in on Mboweni’s claims, with some sharing their own pothole experiences on national roads.
Take a look at some of the Twitter reactions below:
Never, Nelspruit to Makgobakloof can never take 2 hours. In fact this road have minimal potholes between hazyview and whiteriver, and many potholes between Bushbuckridge and acornhoek. After acornoek there’s no single pothole.
— David Ngobeni (@David__Ngobeni) February 13, 2022
I hit a pothole on saturday lost control and rolled the car pic.twitter.com/wBSIgFTaTf
— Poko mafantiri (@iamPkay) February 14, 2022
Politicians!?????
Two hours from Nelspruit to Makgobaskloof?Since when?— EdwardTheGuide (@EdwardthembaSa) February 14, 2022
I borrowed a stranger my spare wheel because of a pothole. Mind you the road was on construction in December with a 40m budget. pic.twitter.com/Qj2x33RRss
— Molwantwa Sambo (@molwantwa_sambo) February 13, 2022
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Picture: Twitter/@MbalulaFikile
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Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
