So you thought roads were built for you?

Dear Tax Paying Citizen,

I’m sure that like everyone else who contributes substantially to the South African treasury, you thought that your money was being spent by government to build, upgrade and maintain public roads for your benefit.

Wrong!

Willies Mchunu the Transport MEC for the Kwa-Zulu Natal Province has just confirmed without actually meaning to, that public roads are built for speeding vehicles fitted with flashing blue lights, which among other things transport Members of government and other connected people. According to this government goon, ordinary motorists on public roads are to be merely tolerated, and will be guilty of violating the National Road Traffic Act if they do not make way for the blue-light-brigade.

Off course, I need not tell you that Willies Mchunu belongs to the ANC who are not averse to aping the African continent’s most despised dictators.

So let’s delve deeper into the other privileged beneficiaries of our national roads. There’s the traffic police and their cars with flashing blue lights. The roads were just made to support their talent for bribery and corruption. And let’s not forget how the levying of traffic fines, which takes precedence over traffic safety, contributes handsomely to the local coffers. How can we forget the South African Police Service? They also speed around in their official vehicles, blue lights flashing, rushing to their next act of brutality. Yes, they’re becoming quite adept at beating up and even killing members of the public.

But that’s not all. The construction of roads is a very lucrative business for well-connected contractors who tender for multi-million Rand projects; well-connected to the government that is. And let’s not forget the toll roads which are proliferating like a bad rash. Those who run the companies constructing and managing these blood-sucking operations are without doubt well-connected to government.

They’re all rolling in the dough, while you cough up the taxes, get forced out of their way on the roads your taxes built, get shot at by thugs masquerading as their bodyguards, and even prosecuted to add insult to injury.

Yes, my dear taxpayer, the roads were built by government for government…and their cronies.