A stalled road upgrade near Mpumalanga’s capital city, Mbombela, has become the latest example of the government ejecting underperforming contractors to safeguard infrastructure delivery, a pattern increasingly seen across South Africa as provinces battle delays, budget overruns, and public frustration.
The Luphisi Road (D1723) refurbishment was abandoned this month after Ntlemo Projects, the contractor appointed in 2024, failed to make progress for more than a year.
The company ceded the contract after receiving about R12-million, even though the project value stands at about R83-million.
Provincial government spokesperson Bongani Dhlamini told Sunday World that the department exhausted all attempts to get the contractor back on track.
“The initial contractor has formally ceded the project after several engagements regarding concerns over continued poor performance and failure to meet project timelines.
“This decision follows repeated attempts by the department to ensure improved productivity and adherence to contractual obligations, all of which were unsuccessful,” said Dhlamini on Thursday.
New contractor to finish project
According to Dhlamini, the project was handed over in July 2024 with a three-month mobilisation period and was expected to see construction progress from September 2024, but the department eventually intervened.
Dhlamini stated that Umdali Civils, the new contractor, will finish the road with the remaining funds to safeguard the public purse, rather than initiating a new multimillion-rand tender.
“The work will be completed with the balance on the original award amount, which is approximately R71-million,” Dhlamini stressed.
Dhlamini stated that failure to perform will not be tolerated going forward, highlighting that MEC Thulasizwe Thomo has asked for weekly progress reports.
“Construction work will proceed with speed to recover lost time and complete the project as required,” Dhlamini said.
“The department remains committed to delivering safe and reliable road infrastructure to the people of Mpumalanga.”
Billions lost to stalled projects
In November 2024, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson told parliament that South Africa is losing billions of rands to stalled or delayed infrastructure projects.
He reported at the time that delayed construction projects across the department’s portfolio have cost the country “close to R3-billion” over several financial years.
He also revealed that 164 of 206 projects under management at the time, about 79%, were behind schedule, despite R1.3-billion already invested in infrastructure that remains unfinished and unavailable for public use.
Macpherson warned that the delays undermined essential services such as schools, clinics, police stations, and community facilities, stressing that stalled sites represent “crime scenes where individuals have been paid for work they have not completed”.
Furthermore, he pointed out that problems with planning, how well contractors are doing their jobs, and supervision are big reasons for the delays, and he stressed the need to hold people accountable to stop wasting taxpayer money and rebuild trust in how public infrastructure is delivered.
