The Gauteng provincial government has paid a staggering R199 million over the past five years to settle lawsuits and legal costs arising from its failure to maintain safe road surfaces. This massive expenditure, revealed in a recent legislative reply, highlights a deepening crisis where public funds meant for road repairs are instead being used to pay for the consequences of neglect....Click to Read More >>➤
The disclosure came from Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, who was responding to a formal question by the Democratic Alliance. The figures paint a picture of a department drowning in litigation, with nearly a thousand active cases still pending.
A detailed breakdown of the R199 million total shows how taxpayer money has been allocated. A sum of R69.2 million was spent purely on legal costs associated with defending the department against claims from motorists and businesses. Furthermore, the department was found liable in 145 cases over the past three years, described by the MEC as “mostly low-end pothole cases.” Court judgments ordering the department to pay for damages and injuries caused by unsafe roads amounted to R43 million. An even larger portion, R86.9 million, was paid out in settlements reached before cases could go to trial, suggesting a strategy of avoiding protracted legal battles.
The situation appears to be worsening. As of August 31, 2025, a shocking 988 cases were still lodged against the department, indicating a relentless wave of claims. The financial impact reached a critical point in the 2024/2025 financial year, where a staggering 46% of the department’s annual roads and maintenance budget—approximately R34.2 million—was consumed by legal costs and judgments. This diversion of funds creates a vicious cycle: money that should be used to fix potholes is instead spent on lawsuits caused by those very potholes, leading to further deterioration and even more legal claims.
When questioned on measures to curb this financial drain, MEC Diale-Tlabela pointed to a newly minted Litigation Reduction Plan. “Contractors have been appointed to maintain the provincial roads. A Litigation Reduction Plan in particular relating to unsafe road surfaces was signed off by the Head of Department in August 2025; and an implementation of the Plan is in progress,” she stated. However, the plan’s recent signing suggests that the problem has been allowed to fester for years without a concrete strategy, raising questions about the department’s proactive management.
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The Democratic Alliance was swift to condemn the figures, with DA Shadow MEC for Roads and Logistics Evert Du Plessis labelling the spending as “unacceptable.” He directly linked the crisis to a failure of leadership under Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi. “This is a clear indication that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s government is failing its residents, who continue to use roads littered with potholes, sinkholes and malfunctioning traffic lights, which puts their lives in danger and risks damaging their vehicles,” Du Plessis said. He emphasized the opportunity cost, stating, “This money could have been used to maintain the provincial roads and fix between 120,000 and 257,000 square metres of potholes in the province.”
The revelation has ignited public outrage, underscoring the direct impact of governmental inefficiency on everyday life and public safety. The R199 million spent on lawsuits represents not just a financial loss, but a profound failure in service delivery that endangers motorists and damages vehicles. As the department begins implementing its new reduction plan, residents will be watching closely to see if it can break the cycle of neglect and litigation, and finally direct resources toward the tangible repair of Gauteng’s crumbling road network.
The screenshots below show the legal costs, judgements and settlements incurred by the department:
