Pretoria - Government is concerned about the shortage of skilled civil engineers and those in related fields to deal with the country's poor road infrastructure.
"The shortage of professional skills and inadequate institutional arrangements ... are giving rise to the increased risks of vehicle crashes, loss of life and damage due to the deterioration of road surfaces," Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said on Thursday.
He added that the extent of low or non-existent staff compliments such as civil engineers or civil engineering technicians at government level, was a cause for concern
The department's Road Infrastructure Strategic Framework (RIFSA) for South Africa, describes the provincial authorities as having bloated, unskilled and inefficient staff structures and a lack of professional, technical and managerial skills.
According to the RIFSA, professional posts are filled by persons without adequate roads experience who are not registered Professional Engineers or Technologists.
He said South Africa had a poor road safety record by world standards with annual fatalities of approximately 265 per million populations compared with an international average of 85.
"A poorly maintained road substantially increases the risk of road crashes," the minister said.
