For the last 10 years or so, over successive budgets and finance ministers, the clarion call of upgrading infrastructure, and a ‘pipeline’ of projects ranging from R500bn to R800bn has rung out across the country. It was seen as potentially a massive kickstart to our floundering economy, and the catalyst for large scale employment.
Alas, as with most grand plans by this government, execution has lagged conceptualisation by a large factor.
Now, we are informed that a new entity, Infrastructure SA, located in the President’s office, has been formed to spearhead the revitalisation of the grand plan.
Headed by technocrat Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, he has proposed that his entity be upgraded to a full blown SOE, ‘giving it control of government infrastructure projects across all departments and state companies’. It seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.
A number of concerns are thrown up by this development. Firstly, what is to become of the multitudes of staff employed in each of these government departments and SOE who are currently employed to, but have failed dismally, to execute on the multitude of projects in this ‘mythtical pipeline’. They have to number in the thousands.
Secondly, Ramokgopa himself, in a recently published paper South Africa’s Infrastructure Emergency: An Urgent and Collaborative Intervention, highlights the reasons why the past 10 years have resulted in nothing but one huge infrastructure mirage. “Insufficient capacity, skills and an inefficient regulatory and policy framework hamper government’s ability to develop a robust, credible and bankable project pipeline,” he wrote. He goes on to assert that at least five years are needed to start making an impact.
One thing I am certain of is that the R600m allocated by the finance minister in last month’s budget to capacitate and transform Infrastructure SA into a fully fledged agency will be well spent… expect a cutting edge logo, corporate identity, organisational structure creation, branding, and high-end office space and equipment, and of course, a gala dinner and launch with the keynote address by the President no doubt. How much will be left for some real work on the task? Not a lot methinks.
The crisis in our infrastructure is cross cutting, with the report stating: Ports, freight-rail lines, power plants, metropolitan roads, state schools and waste collection were all deteriorating, (he said). Public hospitals were also assessed to be in a poor state.
Can we afford another five years of crumbling infrastructure while Ramokgopa sets up his empire? I think not. The President’s inaction is akin to Emperor Nero fiddling while Rome burnt.
Vijay Naidoo is the CEO of the Port Shepstone Business Forum. He writes in his personal capacity. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.
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