R27.8m Defence Department pothole machines remain idle after five years

Ninety pothole-repair machines worth R27.8 million remain unused nearly five years after they were purchased by the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, with no confirmed date for when they will be put to work.

The equipment remains in the possession of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) as part of an ongoing investigation, leaving the department unable to confirm when the machines will be deployed.

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga said it was too early to decide the equipment’s future while the investigation remained under way.

In a written parliamentary reply to uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party MP Pumlani Kubukeli, Motshekga confirmed that no training had taken place and no implementation plan had been developed.

Kubukeli had asked what steps the department was taking to secure the machines’ release and when they would begin repairing potholes for the benefit of military veterans and service delivery.

Department weighs options for unused machines

Motshekga said the department would consider several options once circumstances allowed it to act.

One possibility is to develop a strategy to use the machines for road maintenance. Another is to dispose of the equipment in an effort to recover funds that may have been misused.

“It is premature to undertake any action under the current climate when machines are under investigations,” she said.

Motshekga added that the department would decide on the most appropriate course of action while considering the interests of military veterans.

However, she could not provide a timeline for when the equipment might be released or become operational.

The department has also not asked the SIU to release the machines, with Motshekga saying the investigation had not yet been concluded.

“The work of SIU has not been concluded, thus it is premature to request for the release of the machines,” she said.

Allegations of illegal rentals raised

The machines have also attracted scrutiny following allegations by EFF MP Carl Niehaus that they were being illegally rented out to third parties, with some individuals in the Department of Military Veterans allegedly benefiting.

In an opinion piece published by IOL in July, Niehaus said he had received information from whistleblowers about the alleged rentals and intended to share it with Motshekga.

These allegations have not been established as fact in the information provided by the department.

Machines intended to benefit military veterans

The equipment was procured in 2021 to support military veterans through skills development and income-generating opportunities connected to road maintenance projects.

However, according to the concerns raised by Niehaus, no pothole-repair projects had been implemented, no veterans had been trained to operate the machines and no implementation plan had been put in place.

The ongoing investigation has left the equipment unused while the department considers its next steps.

The case also raises questions about the use of public funds and the delivery of projects intended to create opportunities for military veterans.

For now, the department has not committed to a date for deploying the machines, saying its decision will depend on the conclusion of the SIU investigation.

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Source: iol.co.za