Promises to hold implementing agents to account
● Infrastructure investment will be a key tenet of the Gauteng Provincial Government’s drive to build the province’s economy in the year ahead, said Gauteng Premier David Makhura at the recent State of the Province Address.
Committing to enforcing accountability by implementing agents, he said his government’s focus would be on ensuring the completion of incomplete projects and pushing for quicker completion of new projects. All projects must be delivered on time and on budget, he said, adding that the province would ensure that the relevant departments take full responsibly for maintenance.
The premier conceded, however, that the province’s track record as far as costing, implementation and maintenance of infrastructure projects was dismal and needed to be addressed.
Makhura said the delivery of infrastructure requires a war room approach with critical role players involved to deal with efficiencies, delivery and create partnerships. “Should any of the implementing agents fail to deliver on time and on budget, I will not hesitate to replace them with agencies that will deliver on time and on budget,” he warned.
The premier has already made good on this promise. He recently transferred responsibility for the repair and refurbishments of Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital which was damaged in a fire that broke out at the hospital in April 2021 from the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development to the Department of Health. He intervened after concerns were raised by the slow pace of implementation, initially by seconding a project manager to work with the two government departments to fast-track delivery but later by totally removing the Department of Infrastructure Development from the project. The provincial government’s concerns, said Makhura, were based on both a failure to deliver on time as well as over-pricing.
The Provincial Health Department and the National Department of Health are now working with the Development Bank of Southern Africa, with the latter acting as the implementing agency. “We will make sure that the work is done professionally, on time and at cost,” he assured.
Between 2014 and 2019 the province invested R53 billion in social and economic infrastructure contributing to the creation of close to 120 000 jobs, he reported, adding that the province has constructed and rehabilitated the 18 arterial roads it committed to
in last year’s State of the Province Address.
Work on infrastructure projects has been fraught with challenges, admitted Makhura, including being slowed down by Covid-19 lockdowns and insufficient capacity at the department of infrastructure. These challenges have been compounded by allegations of corruption against senior managers in both the department of infrastructure and health as well as disruptions by so-called business forums.
The latter, said Makhura, “is nothing short of economic sabotage”. Promising to support and empower genuine black businesses, he said the province was working with the police to arrest and convict those business forums which disrupt projects.
Should any of the implementing agents fail to deliver on time and on budget, I will not hesitate to replace them with agencies that will deliver on time and on budget
David Makhura Gauteng Premier