The revelation by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) yesterday, that poor road maintenance caused 1 694 deaths and cost R10-billion per annum in the last four years is an indictment of the ANC administration's derisory leadership. It's clear that potholes have transformed many of the country's roads into deathtraps and this is indeed symbolic of a dysfunctional government in action.

A recent Democratic Alliance visit to Johannesburg and Durban, to document the condition of roads in those two metros, revealed the deteriorating state of South Africa's road network as a critical problem affecting major metropolitan areas as well as smaller districts. Our report showed that in both cities, years of neglect and poor planning have generated a problem that is as wide spread as it is acute. It was also recently reported that in the Kenneth Kaunda district in North West alone, the pothole count reached a frightening 5 643.

The DA calls on the Minister to put in motion the necessary procedures to ensure that a dedicated road maintenance fund, covering all three spheres of government, is instituted as a matter of urgency. This will help to ensure a regular supply of funds to gradually eliminate the backlog nationally, provincially and locally.

With a massive R156-billion road maintenance backlog a dedicated fund for the purpose of road maintenance needs to go hand in hand with allocations from the fuel levy, toll income, traffic-related income sources, Public-Private Partnerships, concessions, state-guaranteed money market loans, public works programmes, vehicle licence fees and fines and international loans.

Money alone will however not solve the crisis and the DA believes that the fund needs to be the prime responsibility of a special Roads Agency within the Ministry, encompassing the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) to deal with the backlog and continued maintenance.

On 2 March 2010, Minister Ndebele was quoted in the Business Report as saying that allocations from the fiscus could be "ring fenced" for the dedicated purpose of road maintenance. While this commitment is not a clear cut indication that the Minister will begin the process of requesting that Treasury allocate a specific amount of money from provincial budgets for the purpose of road maintenance, it is a welcome recognition emanating from the national department of transport that there needs to be dedicated allocations of money from the fiscus for the purpose of road maintenance.

As a country that heavily relies on road transport South Africa needs properly-maintained roads to ensure the safety of all road users and for the economy to grow at the rate required to eradicate poverty.