GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - An investigation by the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure reveals several possible irregularities in the finance section of the Garden Route District Municipality’s (GRDM) roads department.

“There is prima facie evidence of mismanagement and an independent investigation into possible fraud will be conducted,” confirmed Melt Botes, spokesperson for the Western Cape Minister of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers.

Simmers discussed these findings during a visit to GRDM on Tuesday 22 April. The implementation of the new provincial roads delivery model and the reasoning behind it were the main topics on the agenda. The meeting was attended by mayors, councillors, officials, road workers across the district, as well as representatives of Agri Western Cape and the Garden Route Ratepayers Association.

GRDM and all the other district municipalities in the province will lose their road agency function from 1 April 2026. The others include the Central Karoo, Cape Winelands, West Coast and Overberg districts. The entire control of the province’s roads will be handled by the Department of Infrastructure.

When questioned what had prompted this, Botes said the decision was based on an assessment of value for money, performance against the Annual Performance Plan, and the abuse and mismanagement of the yellow fleet, to name a few. 

“It is important to mention that the Department of Infrastructure already fully funds the road function of district municipalities - even the yellow fleet belongs to the department and not to district municipalities,” he said.

The district municipalities were given one year to prepare for the change.

Tertuis Simmers assured the road workers that no jobs would be lost under the new roads delivery model.

Mayor welcomes findings

GRDM’s Mayor Andrew Stroebel said that at the GRDM they believe in transparency. "As part of the turnaround strategy I committed to rolling out from July 2024 - after I was inaugurated - the new political leadership of GRDM welcomes the findings that will be outlined in the report by Western Cape Government," he said in a statement released yesterday, 23 April, the day after Simmers’ meeting.

He said once the written report is received, it will be formally tabled at a full sitting of the GRDM Council for consideration and implementation of the recommendations to bring those involved to account. “Clean governance is non-negotiable. Our residents expects nothing less - especially when public funds are involved.”

Stroebel said Simmers’ presentation provided a broad summary of the findings of their investigation, which focuses on the performance, efficiency and possible irregularities pertaining to the GRDM’s roads department.

The meeting on Tuesday 22 April was attended by mayors, councillors, officials and road workers from across the district, as well as representatives of Agri Western Cape and the Garden Route Ratepayers Association. Members of the media, however, were not welcome.

Budget speech

Simmers’ new provincial roads delivery model was first introduced during his budget speech in parliament on 7 April. Botes said they will visit the GRDM - and soon other district municipalities - to start discussions on the model’s implementation and the reasoning behind it. Simmers and officials are now travelling across the province to present this model to the district municipalities after kicking off in the Garden Route.

Asked why the media was not invited to attend Tuesday’s meeting, Botes said it was a closed meeting with road workers, top management, district councillors, mayors and key role-players. He said the new model was received positively and the stakeholders had confirmed their support for it.

Jacques Wessels, chair of the Garden Route Ratepayers Alliance, who was also invited to the meeting, said they fully support the downscaling of the district municipal structures, especially given the indicated improved service delivery. “However, the need for enhanced public participation with ratepayers was highlighted again, as several well-documented and alleged incidents of misconduct within the GRDM remain unresolved and need urgent resolution,” he said.

Speak to Province

GRDM spokesperson Herman Pieters referred all questions pertaining to changes to the district's roads department and future workings to the Western Cape Department of Infrastructure.

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