The rapidly deteriorating condition of roads in and around Bothaville requires urgent intervention to avert disaster. The continued neglect of this critical infrastructure is severely undermining agricultural operations and placing jobs at risk across the area.

Farmers in and around Bothaville are struggling to remain viable as key access roads have deteriorated to the point where fuel delivery trucks are becoming stuck, preventing reliable diesel deliveries needed for daily farming operations. Recent rainfall has further worsened an already dire situation, leaving essential deliveries delayed or, in some cases, completely impossible.

Without dependable access to fuel, farmers are unable to operate machinery, irrigate crops, or maintain production schedules, placing both food production and livelihoods under serious threat. Whilst farmers and farm workers have attempted to mitigate the damage themselves, limited resources make these efforts unsustainable.

The crisis is further compounded by the ongoing threat of foot-and-mouth disease. Poor road infrastructure severely restricts the ability to manage outbreaks effectively, transport livestock safely, and access veterinary services. If left unresolved, the combination of failing roads and disease risk will accelerate economic decline, resulting in job losses and reduced agricultural output.

“Functional roads are not a luxury—they are the backbone of agricultural production and local economic growth,” states Thinus Barnard, DA Spokesperson for Roads and Transport in the Free State Legislature and DA Councillor for Nala Municipality.

The Democratic Alliance will formally write to the Free State MEC for Community Safety, Roads and Transport to request urgent intervention in response to the deteriorating road conditions.

The DA is calling for a clear and publicly available maintenance schedule, as well as full transparency regarding budget allocations for rural road infrastructure. The party will conduct oversight visits and, if necessary, escalate the matter in the Legislature to ensure that rural communities such as Bothaville are not sidelined or forgotten.