By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) is putting plans in place to roll out Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs), which are aimed at improving the quality of life for South Africans.
“We are resolute that our programmes should benefit the youth, women, military veterans, and people with disabilities in the construction and property sector,” said Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala on Tuesday.
Delivering his department’s 2023/24 Budget Vote in Cape Town, the Minister said infrastructure development is inextricably tied to the aspirations of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan (ERRP) in post-COVID SA.
“Our objective is to use our role in the property and infrastructure sector to build assets, deliver climate-resilient smart infrastructure, facilitate spatial transformation, support economic empowerment and drive job creation.
“During Africa Month, we reaffirm our commitment to a ‘Better Africa and a Better World’, which can be concretised through world class infrastructure that criss-crosses Africa,” Zikalala said.
In the year ahead, the Minister said the department will coordinate the provision of a “social facilitation framework” to mitigate community unrests, which delay construction projects.
“We are determined to enhance the participation of communities in projects, drive localisation of supplies, and involve locals in the maintenance of the property ecosystem,” he said, adding that the department’s construction branch will work closer with Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) to unclog delayed projects.
Other key area of focus, the Minister said, are contract management, capacity building, risk management and continuous monitoring of projects.
“We have introduced the ‘war room’ approach and the establishment of Project Management Units (PMUs) to fast track the implementation of projects and reduce the number of projects that are stalled.”
Zikalala said they are going to establish panels of contractors and consultants to avoid prolonged procurement processes.
He said his department is also addressing vacancy rates, which impede the capacity to effectively deliver projects on time and on budget.
“No matter the odds, we are determined to close down the curtain on the history of the department being associated with corruption, ineptitude, and poor infrastructure delivery.
“We will be regular with project site visits, where we will inspect, monitor and unblock service delivery challenges. Shovels must be on the ground. South Africa must become a construction site again.
Zikalala announced that the department has been allocated R27.5 billion in the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), with R8.782 billion allocated for the 2023/24 financial year.
Zikalala said the allocation will be spent towards creating work opportunities by leading and coordinating the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), providing policy and sector oversight; building State capacity to facilitate skills development; strengthening the skills pipeline, and providing direct support to sponsors of priority public infrastructure projects.
“These areas of focus contribute toward the realisation of the NDP’s vision of facilitating job creation and improving public infrastructure,” Zikalala said.
Zikalala said the EPWP has a total budget of R9.7 billion over the MTEF period, increasing at an average medium-term rate of 5%, from R2.96 billion in 2022/23 to R3.2 billion in 2024/25.
“An estimated 86% or R23.5 billion of the main vote’s total budget over the next three years is allocated to transfers and subsidies for the operations of its entities, and for conditional grants to provinces and municipalities to implement the Expanded Public Works Programme.
“The remaining balance of 14% or R4 billion is earmarked for spending on compensation and goods and services to support the achievement of these priorities by the Department,” the Minister said.
Zikalala said the department’s Infrastructure South Africa division has identified the need to provide direct support through the allocation of project preparation resources to sponsors of priority public infrastructure projects, with the aim of expediting investor-friendly projects.