As South Africa gears up for the fourth annual Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa (SIDSSA) in Cape Town this week, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister, Dean Macpherson, has reaffirmed government's commitment to transforming the country into a hive of construction activity to drive economic recovery, job creation and scale up service delivery.
The Minister was speaking at media briefing on Sunday, ahead of the SIDSSA, which will be held on Monday and Tuesday.
The symposium follows closely on the heels of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana's Budget Speech, in which he announced that government will invest approximately R1 trillion in infrastructure over the medium term.
"This week, government, business, development financiers and technical experts will come together with a singular focus: how do we use infrastructure to drive South Africa's economic recovery, attract investment and most importantly, create jobs? SIDSSA is not just a conversation. It is a platform for execution," Macpherson said.
The Minister announced that during the symposium, the second edition of the Construction Book, compiled by Infrastructure South Africa, will be launched.
"This is a live inventory of construction ready projects that are already funded and scheduled to go to the market over the next 12 months. It showcases the real work being done to build roads, expand water supply systems, unlock energy capacity and rehabilitate public infrastructure.
"This year's construction book includes over 200 funded projects part of the annual procurement plans of State-Owned Enterprises, municipalities and provinces across the country. The goal is clear, we must accelerate delivery, stimulate growth and turn South Africa into a construction site," the Minister said.
He said the next wave of priority projects will also be announced.
"These include eight nationally significant infrastructure projects that were prioritised at SIDSSA last year. I will also be providing an update on these projects while [President Cyril Ramaphosa] will outline the broader significance of these projects in his keynote address," he said.
Macpherson emphasised that it is evident that "we are making real progress in the infrastructure space across the length and breadth of South Africa".
"These projects are no longer aspirational. They are funded, contracted and moving through feasibility and procurement stages with urgency and transparency.
"One of the biggest reforms we've made has been to prioritise project preparation funding. Through Infrastructure South Africa, we are ensuring that public sector projects no longer fail at the first hurdle due to weak planning, poor structuring or lack of compliance. Over R600 million has now been committed to prepare strategic infrastructure projects from basic services to catalytic energy and water investments," he revealed.
For the public good
Macpherson highlighted that the symposium will also provide an opportunity for reflection on "how we use the assets of the state for public good".
"Over the past year, we have begun repurposing public buildings for public good. We are turbo charging private investment into public properties which will see investment supporting infrastructure.
"For the first time, we are releasing 31 properties nationwide for investment which will allow the public and private sectors to work together on how best they can be utilised. This is the first phase of this programme which we estimate will attract an additional R10 billion in these properties through the private sector and create - between construction and services related jobs - 165 000 opportunities," he said.
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Additionally, vacant properties are being handed over to local and provincial authorities to serve as shelters, youth centres and service delivery points.
"The era of state buildings standing idle while communities go without them must come to an end. Public properties must serve the public and the public purpose," the Minister said.
He assured that the symposium is "not about making new promises".
"It's about reporting back, building momentum and demonstrating that this government is serious about delivery and serious about infrastructure. This week is about showing South Africa what is being built and what is coming up to be built.
"We are ready, the projects are ready and it's now time for us to deliver," Macpherson concluded.
