Central SA
Transport minister to assess road conditions in Potchefstroom─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 08:50 Thu, 14 Aug 2025

The minister of transport, Barbara Creecy, will conduct a critical inspection of road conditions in Potchefstroom on Thursday (14/8) as part of the Operation Vala Zonke Pothole Patching Programme.
The initiative aims to address the widespread issue of potholes across the country, which has long been a significant concern for motorists and local communities alike. Creecy will specifically evaluate the progress of the ongoing pothole patching efforts, with an emphasis on Sarafina Road in the Ikageng township, said national transport department spokesperson Collen Msibi.
Creecy’s visit would serve as an opportunity to promote the Sanral pothole app, a tool designed to raise public awareness and facilitate better reporting of road infrastructure issues.
JB Marks Municipality has been grappling with road maintenance challenges for years. Two years ago, the municipality launched Operation Thuntsa Lerole as part of a local and provincial pothole-patching initiative aimed at expediting service delivery and improving road conditions.
North West has long struggled with road maintenance, particularly in rural areas. Earlier this year, Premier Lazarus Mokgosi said more than 60% of the province’s population lives in rural areas, complicating efforts to improve infrastructure. He expressed concern about the state of the province’s roads, acknowledging that its predominantly rural nature makes infrastructure management more challenging, especially compared to more developed provinces such as Gauteng and the Western Cape.
“We did not choose to be here; we are here; it’s a reality. Sixty percent rural, and at the same time, when you look at our road infrastructure as a province, more than 65% of our roads are gravel roads. We don’t have many tarred roads and paved roads. It’s a reality; it’s what we have,” Mokgosi said.
The collapse of infrastructure in the province has been worsened by growing demand for basic services such as water and electricity, said Mokgosi. These demands, he said, have diverted resources and attention from maintaining existing infrastructure, including roads, leading to widespread deterioration.
The road issues are not confined to the province’s rural areas. JB Marks has also faced chronic water shortages, with residents regularly experiencing water cuts, compounding the infrastructure challenges that local communities endure daily.