Gauteng is littered with incomplete and abandoned infrastructure projects, costing millions of rands and providing no benefit to the people of the province. These projects are a monument to the dysfunctionality and inefficiency of Gauteng's Department of Infrastructure Development.

Some of the abandoned projects include:

• Mayibuye Primary School in Midrand, which was supposed to be completed in 2019 but is still unfinished;
• Kwadedangendlale Secondary School in Soweto was supposed to be completed in 2019. It is alleged that the contractor was not paid by the department;
• Kopanong Hospital in Vereeniging, which was supposed to have 300 ICU beds added in response to the Covid-19 pandemic but is still incomplete;
• Kagiso Extension 6 library, which was supposed to be completed in 2019, is now a shell of a building. An oversight visit in August 2023 confirmed that it is still a skeleton structure with no roof, electrical wiring, or glass in the windows;• Construction on the Khutsong South clinic began in 2016 and was supposed to be completed in 2018. However, the project was abandoned in 2020 due to financial difficulties faced by the contractor;
• Nancefield Primary School, located in Eldorado Park, was built in 1957 and was originally an asbestos school. In 2019, the Gauteng Department of Education announced that the school would be demolished and rebuilt. However, the project was abandoned in 2021 due to non-performance by the contractor.

The reasons for the abandonment of these projects vary, but they all point to the same problem: the Department of Infrastructure Development is dysfunctional and lacks the necessary skill and expertise. The department has been plagued by an inability to complete projects within budget and time constraints.

The people of Gauteng deserve better. They deserve a government that is competent and efficient that delivers on its promises. Infrastructure projects play a pivotal role in creating employment opportunities. Failed infrastructure projects lead to diminished service delivery and impacts negatively on the economy. This is noteworthy because in Gauteng there are over 2.6 million unemployed people.

 

Issued by Alan Fuchs MPL - DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Infrastructure Development