MEC FUFE MAKATONG TABLED THE 2026/7 BUDGET VOTE
On Tuesday, 7 July 2026, the MEC for Roads and Public Works, Ms Fufe Makatong, tabled the Department's 2026/27 Budget Vote in Galeshewe, Kimberley, and reaffirming government's commitment to building a modern, resilient, and economically competitive Northern Cape through strategic investment in infrastructure, public works, and skills development.
The Department has been allocated a total budget of R2.347 billion for the 2026/27 financial year. The allocation comprises R842 million in equitable share funding, which includes R40 million in additional provincial earmarked funding, a 17% increase from the previous financial year. The budget also includes R1.5 billion through the Provincial Roads Maintenance Grant, representing a 4% decrease, and R4 million through the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Incentive Grant.
The budget has been allocated across the Department's four programmes as follows:
• Programme 1: Administration – R221 million (9% of the total budget)
• Programme 2: Public Works Infrastructure – R247 million (11%)
• Programme 3: Transport Infrastructure – R1.771 billion (75%)
• Programme 4: Community Based Programmes – R108 million (5%)
The allocation of 75% of the total budget to Transport Infrastructure reflects the scale of the Department's responsibility to maintain and improve the province's extensive road network while addressing the significant maintenance backlog. This investment will support the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of roads, contributing to safer travel, improved connectivity, and enhanced economic opportunities throughout the Northern Cape Province.
Among the Department's key priorities for the 2026/27 financial year are the continued implementation of the Operation Vala Zonke pothole patching programme, the rollout of the R98 million Yellow Fleet, and the expansion of skills development initiatives through the Phakamile Mabija Apprenticeship Programme. These initiatives aim to improve infrastructure while creating employment opportunities and equipping young people with valuable technical and artisan skills.
The Department will also continue to expand the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), with a target of creating more than 22,000 work opportunities during the 2026/27 financial year. Through these initiatives, government seeks to provide meaningful employment, strengthen communities, and contribute to poverty alleviation across the province.
In her address, MEC Makatong emphasised that infrastructure remains a key driver of economic growth, investment, job creation, and improved service delivery. She reaffirmed the Department's commitment to addressing construction site disruptions, rebuilding roads damaged by recent flooding, strengthening partnerships with municipalities and the private sector, and ensuring that infrastructure investments benefit communities across all five districts of the Northern Cape.
The MEC also highlighted the Department's commitment to sound financial management and good governance. Key financial priorities for the year include strengthening governance and internal controls, improving expenditure and cash-flow management, supporting audit readiness, enhancing supply chain oversight, and ensuring that every valid supplier invoice is paid within 30 days.
The Department will continue to leverage technology, data analytics, and financial monitoring tools to ensure that every rand entrusted to it delivers maximum value and tangible benefits to the people of the Northern Cape. The Budget Vote further commits the Department to accelerating strategic road projects, strengthening technical capacity, improving the management of government-owned assets, expanding artisan training, and supporting the development of a capable, ethical, and developmental state.
In closing, MEC Makatong delivered a heartfelt message that underscored the Department's commitment to serving the people of the Northern Cape. Acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead, she reaffirmed the Department's determination to remain focused on its mandate. "We will not always get everything right; however, we will always show up. We will always be honest about the challenges, and we will never stop working, because behind every kilometre of road unrepaired, there is a family waiting; behind every work opportunity not created, there is a young person still hoping; and behind every building not maintained, there is a community that deserves better."