Board Extensions Reward Failure and Weaken Accountability

OUTA is concerned by yet another extension of the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) board, which has already seen its tenure being reinstated into a second three-year stint and consequently undergone a further two-year extension beyond that. This is no longer an isolated delay. What should be a short caretaker measure has become standard practice, and that shift has real consequences for governance.

Allowing boards to overstay weakens accountability and sends a clear signal that poor or questionable performance carries no real consequence. Instead of renewal and correction, weak boards remain in place while institutions absorb the damage. Over time, this erodes both internal discipline and public confidence.

Government knows many months, even years in advance of board term expiry dates. There is nothing unpredictable about this process, and there is no justification for repeatedly leaving it until the last moment and then having to implement last-minute extensions. Each extension avoids proper scrutiny and postpones the hard work of renewal and oversight.

This pattern raises an unavoidable question. Is this simple neglect, or is delay being tolerated because it suits those in power?

The same Sanral board has now served far longer than intended, while questions of governance concerns continue to surface. These include board overreach into operational matters, involvement in tender processes, and unresolved questions around senior management exits. None of these issues can be dismissed as minor or technical.

Responsibility for this situation ultimately lies with the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy. The appointment process should have been underway a good six months ago. Advertising positions at the eleventh hour does not meet the standards expected of public office, particularly in an entity with such significant public responsibilities and a large capital expenditure budget.

OUTA CEO Wayne Duvenage warns that this approach merely continues to hollowing out governance and public trust across the state.

“When boards overstay, accountability fades. Temporary arrangements become permanent, and weak governance is locked in.”

This issue is not unique to one entity. OUTA has observed the same practice across multiple state bodies, with consistent results, and which has been particularly bad in Higher Education. Oversight weakens, institutions stagnate, and public trust continues to erode.

OUTA calls for urgent and meaningful attention be given to the appointment of a properly constituted Sanral board, with clear timelines for renewal and transparent criteria. We also repeat our call for an independent inquiry into governance and procurement concerns at Sanral, either through Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts or an independent forensic process.

Caretaker boards should be the exception. In South Africa, they have become routine.