The ongoing delays in key infrastructure projects in South Africa have sparked fresh controversy, with Patriotic Alliance Member of Parliament (MP) Ashley Sauls accusing the Western Cape provincial government of failing to engage with local communities. Sauls was responding to Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson’s remarks in the National Assembly, where the minister attributed delays in infrastructure development to challenges like construction mafias and other external factors. Sauls, however, argued that the issue runs deeper, citing a lack of public participation as a major cause of the setbacks.
One of the key examples Sauls highlighted was the ongoing construction of Main Road 33 in St Helena Bay, located in the Western Cape. This significant road project, which cuts through residential areas, has caused considerable disruption to local residents. According to Sauls, the roadwork has blocked access to residents’ properties, forcing them to park their cars in distant areas and navigate around the construction site.
“This is a major project that is being built right through the yards and homes of people,” Sauls explained during his address. “It is disrupting daily life, preventing people from accessing their own homes. The provincial government has failed to ensure proper public participation, which has created unnecessary tension in the community.”
Sauls said the community had attempted to engage with the government in a bid to address their concerns, but their efforts were thwarted when the provincial government canceled a crucial public participation meeting that had been scheduled. “We tried to intervene, and we were promised that a public consultation meeting would take place. Yet, on the eve of the meeting, it was abruptly canceled. The big question we are asking is, what gives the Western Cape Government the confidence to deny the residents of St Helena Bay their right to be consulted?” Sauls questioned.
The MP also raised concerns about the possible underlying reasons for the lack of consultation, suggesting that it could be a reflection of broader systemic issues in the province. “Is it because these are Coloured communities?” Sauls asked pointedly. His remarks hint at a deeper racial and socio-political divide, questioning whether the government is showing a lack of respect for the rights of poorer, predominantly Coloured communities in the province.
