The Northern Cape Government has strengthened its road maintenance capacity in the Z.F. Mgcawu District with the deployment of additional Yellow Fleet machinery, as MEC for Roads and Public Works, Mr Bentley Vass, declared that government-owned machinery must translate into visible improvements on the province’s roads.
MEC Vass, together with MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison, Ms Limakatso Koloi, officially handed over the first complement of Yellow Fleet machinery in Upington today.
They were joined by the Mayors from local municipalities, including the Executive Mayor of the Z.F. Mgcawu District Municipality, Cllr. M.C. Basson, Mayor of Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality, Cllr. David Kazi, Head of Department for Roads and Public Works, Dr. Steven Jonkers, senior government officials and road maintenance personnel.
A total of 11 Yellow Fleet plant units have been allocated to the Z.F. Mgcawu District, with the first four; two graders, one TLB and one front-end loader; handed over today for deployment.
The remaining machinery will be deployed to the district as it becomes available.
The intervention forms part of the Provincial Government’s drive to strengthen its internal road maintenance capacity, reduce maintenance backlogs and bring government resources closer to communities across a province with one of the most extensive road networks in the country.
Speaking during the handover, MEC Vass stressed that the acquisition of machinery cannot be an end in itself.
“We are putting machinery on the ground. We are placing 11 machines in the Z.F. Mgcawu District. Today, we are handing over two graders, one TLB and one front-end loader as the first complement of equipment.”
Vass said the machinery must be deployed where communities need it and warned against government assets being allowed to stand idle while roads deteriorate.
“These machines must not become monuments in government yards. They must work. Our communities must see them on the roads and experience the difference they are making.”
The MEC further emphasised that investment in machinery must be accompanied by investment in people.
In a significant skills-development intervention announced during the handover, MEC Vass committed the Department to funding the training and certification of five women in each district as qualified grader operators.
The initiative is aimed at opening a traditionally male-dominated technical field to women while simultaneously developing the skilled personnel required to operate and maintain the Province’s growing Yellow Fleet.
With five women targeted in each of the Northern Cape’s five districts, the initiative could see 25 women trained and certified as grader operators across the province.
MEC Koloi welcomed the initiative and highlighted the importance of deliberately creating opportunities for women to acquire technical skills and participate meaningfully in the road infrastructure sector.
Vass said government cannot invest millions of rands in heavy machinery without ensuring that properly trained operators, mechanics and technical personnel are available to operate, service and protect those assets.
“Machinery alone will not fix our roads. We need skilled people behind these machines. We must build that capacity within government while creating opportunities for women and young people to enter technical fields that have historically been dominated by men.”
The MEC also issued a firm instruction on the management of the Yellow Fleet, calling for proper operational planning, maintenance schedules, responsible fuel management and clear accountability for every machine.
“Every repair action on a damaged road is symbolic of government at work. Treat this equipment with care and ensure that it is properly maintained and serviced.”
Head of Department Dr Steven Jonkers said the handover demonstrates the Department’s commitment to translating its plans into practical service delivery.
“The public should see that we are a Department at work. We are bringing the Yellow Fleet to the people who will use it to maintain the gravel roads across the Z.F. Mgcawu District.”
The deployment will strengthen the Department’s ability to undertake road grading and other maintenance interventions while supporting broader provincial road maintenance programmes.
MEC Vass said provincial and local government must increasingly coordinate their resources because communities expect government as a whole to respond when infrastructure deteriorates.
He said the presence of the Z.F. Mgcawu District and Dawid Kruiper Local Municipality leadership at the handover demonstrated the importance of cooperative governance in tackling infrastructure challenges.
The Yellow Fleet rollout follows the Province’s broader investment in strengthening its own road maintenance machinery and reducing excessive dependence on outsourced interventions.
For Vass, however, the ultimate measure of the programme will not be the number of machines handed over, but the difference communities see on the ground.
“Our people are not interested in machinery standing behind a fence. They want passable roads. They want access to schools, clinics, farms, businesses and economic opportunities. That is where these machines must make a difference.”
The Department will continue rolling out the outstanding Yellow Fleet machinery while strengthening operator capacity, maintenance systems and accountability mechanisms to ensure maximum value from the Province’s investment.
