KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements and Public Works MEC Jomo Sibiya said on Thursday that despite the gains made by the African National Congress-led government over the past 26 years, more needs to be done to ensure the provision of adequate infrastructure.

He tabled the Public Works budget vote of R1.695-billion for consideration and approval, with non-infrastructure receiving R2.202-billion and new infrastructure assets receiving R1.166-billion.

Sibiya said this massive investment was packaged in such a way that “we defeat the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality”, which have been compounded by the outbreak of Covid-19.

The provincial Human Settlements and Public Works Department will continue to focus on vocational training to upskill people, ensuring they are ready to take up new opportunities to revive the economy.

The department has promised to work closely with the KwaZulu-Natal Human Resources Development Council to strengthen its collaboration with universities, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centres and other training institutions to ensure a massive upskilling of young people in the province.

To tackle the issue of unemployment in the province, Public Works has partnered with the Department of Higher Education and TVET centres, to ensure that the categories of artisans produced are aligned with the quality of skills required in industries, while ensuring that programmes for skills development are aligned with industrial development imperatives.

Learnerships and internships will continue for graduates with sufficient experience, to improve their appeal in the open market.

Special programmes will also continue to upskill youth and assist them with direct job placements.

Sibiya said massive investment will be used to create and encourage partnership between the public and the private sectors to maximise investments and grow the economy.

On establishing the Strategic Infrastructure Development Agency (SIDA), KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has given the department nine months to renovate the offices where this agency will be located.

SIDA will be the province's Infrastructure Nerve Centre.

“Having this agency will enable KwaZulu-Natal to engage with and coordinate effectively every infrastructure project that will be taking place in the province irrespective of the sphere of government that is the custodian of the plans in question,” Sibiya explained.

He said government and the private sector had identified 276 Strategic Integrated Projects with a total investment value of more than R2.7-trillion.

Government has gazetted 50 of these projects with a value of R340-billion.

Many of these projects are in the areas of human settlement, water and sanitation, energy, transport, digital infrastructure, harbour development and maritime.

CORRUPTION

On rooting out corruption, the MEC said when evidence of actual or apparent impropriety exists in the department, it will undertake to act effectively, either administratively or through the criminal justice system.

He said his department was encouraged by the results of an investigation conducted by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into Covid-19-infrastructure-related procurements. 

The investigation was conducted on three field hospitals amounting to R96-million and twelve refurbishment projects with the total budget of R1-billion.

The SIU has confirmed that it did not find any wrongdoing on the side of the department and had since closed the investigation.

“We want to develop a reputation of a department that is respected by the people because of lawful and responsible behaviour of all categories of staff,” Sibiya said.

DELAYED PAYMENTS

On the issue of payment to service providers within 30 days, the MEC said the department was dealing with complaints of delayed payments to entrepreneurs, an issue raised by the Premier and the KwaZulu-Natal legislature on several occasions.

Sibiya has met with affected parties, who have agreed on targets, key performance areas and consequences for shoddy performance across all categories of staff.

The department is also developing, with the assistance of Treasury, an invoice tracking system to deal with this matter.

“Importantly, any delay in the processing of invoices - either deliberately or due to demands for bribes - will result in criminal charges being laid against any employee in the department. We are calling on members of the public and emerging entrepreneurs to report such employees in order for government to take immediate action,” he said.

Sibiya said the majority of employees in the Supply Chain Management unit now understand that they are the centre of government’s efforts aimed at ensuring economic recovery and creation of jobs for millions of people.

“We have agreed to isolate and marginalise those few bad apples within our ranks,” he stressed.