R1.4 billion allocated to incomplete projects in the Free State

An undisclosed number of incomplete projects in the Free State have been allocated R1.4 billion for the 2026/2027 financial year.

This is according to the provincial premier, MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae. She was delivering the State of the Province Address (Sopa) on Friday.

This allocation has been criticised, questioning why these projects have not been completed and what happened to their initial budgets.

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Incomplete projects

She did not specifically name which projects would receive the share of the R1.4 billion, but it seems most of the money will go to road infrastructure projects.

“For the 2026/27 financial year, we have allocated R1.4 billion to complete existing projects,” said Letsoha-Mathae.

“Focus will be on rural roads, small towns’ connectivity, and pothole eradication to drive agricultural growth, enable trade, eradicate poverty, and facilitate access to essential services.”

In addition, there will be 10 new road construction and maintenance projects to be procured towards the end of the financial year, she said. It is unclear whether the new projects will receive a share of the R1.4 billion or will have their own budget allocation.

Criticism around allocation for projects

The premier did not give reasons why these projects have not been completed, nor when they will be completed.

Roy Jankielsohn, DA Free State Leader, is one of the voices to criticise the allocation to complete existing projects.

“The DA’s first and most pressing question is, why are these projects incomplete in the first place? These projects were already budgeted for,” he said.

“Allocating additional funds without clearly explaining failures in planning, project management, and consequence management raises serious concerns about waste and consequence management.”

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Road infrastructure

Jankielsohn acknowledged that road infrastructure is important in the province.

“The economy runs on roads. Deteriorating provincial and municipal roads are a key reason why the province continues to struggle to attract investors,” he said.

“Without reliable transport infrastructure, economic growth remains constrained, logistics costs rise, and job opportunities are lost.”

According to the premier, the provincial government has been able to complete the reseal and fog spray projects of the following roads during the 2025/2026 financial year: