Date: 09/02/2004
Source: Ministry of Public Works
Title: S Sigcau: Parliamentary Media Briefing, February 2004


PARLIAMENTARY MEDIA BRIEFING BY THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS, STELLA SIGCAU, 9 February 2004

The Minister of Health, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
The Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya
Directors-General present
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media.

INTRODUCTION

In January 2000 we recommitted ourselves to refocusing the National Department of Public Works towards optimum public service delivery. We called our Five Year Delivery Pledge: Mintiro Ya Vula Vula (actions speak louder than words).

The preceding five years were however characterised by intense policy development, refinement and alignment. In 1996/1997 the department commissioned the compilation of a comprehensive register of all fixed assets owned by the State. The results were published in May 1999 and for the first time allowed government adequate knowledge of the value of assets under its control. This has enabled us to do thorough planning and exercise, efficient management of state's fixed assets, including maintenance and disposal.

Emanating from the Presidential Reconstruction and Development Programme lead projects of 1994 the Community Based Public Works Programme (CBPWP) was promulgated as part of poverty alleviation through integrated development and job creation. To maximise its impact, the programme was subjected to policy refinement and international best practice. This exercise lead the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to conclude in 1996 that our version of the CBPWP was "the best Public Works programme" in the developing world citing its labour intensive construction methods and job creation potential. In that period, the CBPWP created 39 306 jobs from an investment of R335 million.

Since 1994, the Department of Public Works has championed a range of initiatives and co-ordinated the development of a comprehensive construction industry development policy, programmes, institutions, and instruments that bind public and private endeavour as part of its contribution to national reconstruction, growth and development.

With the full backing of all industry stakeholders, the Department of Public Works has developed and championed legislation to enable the implementation of a comprehensive industry development strategy.

Eight pieces of legislation were enacted in December 2000 to establish:

* The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) to promote industry growth, delivery and "best practice" performance of clients and suppliers

* The Council for the Built Environment (CBE) to promote improved co-ordination within the professions and with government for the attainment of developing goals

* An enabling regulatory framework for the professions (the Councils for the Built Environment Professions), re-enacting the laws regulating architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and property valuers and recognising two new professions: landscape architects and project and construction managers.

Looking back over the years, we are pleased with the remarkable milestones we have attained and we look into the next ten years with confidence.

For the purpose of this briefing, we shall focus on rural development and poverty alleviation, expanded public works programme and public private partnerships.

1. POVERTY ALLEVIATION, RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE COMMUNITY BASED PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME

Since 1999, the Department of Public Works has invested more than R1,7 billion and created 2 993 rural infrastructure projects and 123 739 jobs in the impoverished rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, North West and Limpopo.

The structures are demand-driven and include community gardens, multi-purpose community halls, rural access roads, bridges, taxi ranks, market stalls, sports fields, cr