GRDM Roads Department: Staff at a crossroads

GEORGE NEWS - As the deadline for the provincial takeover of the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Roads Department approaches, staff anxiety is reaching a tipping point.

With the official transfer date set for 1 April, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over its workforce.

While this date is fast approaching, many employees fear they are being left in the dark about their financial futures and day-to-day security.

Responding to the George Herald's queries, the GRDM confirmed that the Department of Public Works (DPW) is steering the process.

This move forms part of a wider provincial plan to improve and speed up road service delivery in the Western Cape, with all Roads Departments being transferred from district municipalities to the provincial government.

The legal framework

In accordance with the Labour Relations Act, which provides a critical legal safety net for all affected personnel, the GRDM has confirmed that every employee currently associated with the roads function will transfer to the Provincial Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

Under these legal protections, employment conditions are expected to remain similiar to their current municipal contracts, ensuring that the benefits and job security are preserved through the transition.

Herman Pieters, the GRDM's head of communications. Photo: GRDM

"Each employee has their own expectations, and this also applies to the policies that staff must become accustomed to when they change employers. In every takeover process, there are expectations and adjustments, and consequently different policies and systems that regulate the processes," said Herman Pieters, the GRDM's head of communications.

"There is currently uncertainty, not only among the staff, but also on the part of the employer, as a result of the takeover negotiations that have not yet been finalised."

While the municipality acknow-ledges that the negotiations have not yet been finalised, it has stated that it is not opposed to the move, provided the entire process remains legally sound and adheres strictly to the established labour regulations.

Melchior Botes, spokesperson for the Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers. Photo: Supplied

Melchior Botes, spokesperson for the Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, confirmed that the personnel's daily work is expected to remain unchanged. "Only the employer changes," he said.

"The department has consistently communicated that all staff associated with the roads function will transfer to the Department of Infrastructure and that no job losses are envisaged. In terms of applicable labour legislation, affected employees will transfer on conditions that are, on the whole, not less favourable than those currently applicable at the district municipality."

Anxiety on the ground

Despite these assurances, a different story is unfolding on ground level. A letter an informed individual who wish to stay anonymous sent in to the paper expresses deep-seated fear that communication has stalled.

Following a council meeting on 25 February, rumours surfaced that no further budget had been allocated to the Roads Department, sparking fears that the GRDM is "washing its hands" of the division prematurely.

"There is no communication being given to the people," the letter states. "Will they have work on the 1st of April or not? It seems the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure hasn't even started the transition process."

The Department of Infrastructure officially launched its Roads4U mobile app yesterday, 4 March, which allows residents to report road defects such as surface damage, faulty traffic signals and faded signage in real time.

The GRDM's Road Department on the ground at the upgrades to the Saasveld Road, November 2025. Photo: GRDM