A BusinessTech report has raised an intriguing point - that a March 1 high court ruling stated that private citizens could fix roads, then charge government for it.
The Eastern Cape High Court set a new precedent that will allow for private citizens and bodies to perform basic service delivery functions with taxpayers’ money.
The judgement ordered the provincial roads department to reimburse farmers who carried out maintenance themselves, subject to strict conditions - including giving the department 30 days’ notice of the repairs and obtaining at least two independent quotes.
A commentator suggested that the ruling would likely have far-reaching consequences around the country as other farmers and civil society groups would follow suit.
BusinessTech reported that this was confirmed by civil group Afriforum, which noted that it had subsequently begun using similar legal means to provide basic service delivery functions around the country.
And the Sunday issue of Rapport quoted Marcus Pawson, head of AfriForum’s local governance division, saying that it had not only been reimbursed for roads but other basic services such as the removal of trees and the replacement of water pumps.
