Addressing the media in Pretoria on Tuesday, 25 April, minister of public works and infrastructure Sihle Zikalala said infrastructure projects worth approximately R21.4bn have been completed. These projects are part of the Infrastructure Investment Plan approved by Cabinet in May 2020.
The total value of projects currently in construction is R313.5bn, while projects in procurement stand at R295.2bn. The public sector is projected to spend R903bn on infrastructure over the medium term.
The minister provided an update on some of the infrastructure projects, which are part of the 88 Strategic Infrastructure Projects (SIPs) that were gazetted by government. Various road projects in KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and Limpopo have been completed. In addition, housing projects in Gauteng and other projects across the country are in construction and procurement phases, including:
- Phase 2 of the Welisizwe Rural Bridges programme will commence this month, with government planning to build 96 bridges in total and three per quarter. R3.8bn is allocated for the programme over the medium term.
- The construction of enabling bulk infrastructure, such as roads and water components for the Lufhereng Mixed-Use Development in Gauteng, begins in June 2023. It will support the development of 31,000 mixed housing units.
- Access roads for the Umzimvubu Water Project in the Eastern Cape are nearing completion. The construction of the Ntabelanga Dam, which is a part of this project, will begin later this year.
- In the Western Cape, site establishment for the Clanwilliam Dam raising project is completed. All surface works and 15% of all concrete works will be completed by the end of this year.
Hijacking of project sites
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) will be meeting with the Economic Sabotage Unit, set up within the police, to deal with economic crimes, including the rising phenomena of the so-called ‘construction mafia’ who invade, intimidate and disrupt delivery of projects on the ground.
“We reiterate that everyone is allowed to partake in economic activity in the country but this must be done in a legal and orderly fashion.
“We will continue to engage communities on how they can benefit from construction projects and the entire value chain. Equally, we will mobilise communities to work with law enforcement to fight corruption, crime, and the construction mafia who are sabotaging the delivery of infrastructure and hampering job creation,” the minister said.
