
Adopt-a-municipality pilot phase begins
READ: Gauteng service delivery | Law enforcers collaborate to fight crime
The program aims to see Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) work with municipalities to introduce rapid infrastructure interventions.
The national government has signed a memoranda of understanding with three local government municipalities to improve infrastructure delivery.
The Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson discussed the progress of this initiative with eNCA.
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IOL News
4 hours ago
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Infrastructure delays cost R444. 7 million, reveals Minister Macpherson
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson says his department has instituted firm measures to hold non-performing contractors accountable. Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson has revealed that 57 infrastructure projects have incurred delays, leading to total cost overruns of R444.7 million over the past three years. The overruns are broken down as follows: R110.8 million in 2022/23, R64.3 million in 2023/24, and R269.6 million in 2024/25. This emerged when he was responding to parliamentary questions asked by EFF MP Sharon Letlape, who asked about the actions the department has taken to hold the contractors and implementing agents accountable, among other things. According to Macpherson, his department has instituted firm measures to hold non-performing contractors accountable. 'The defaulting contractors have been terminated or are in the process of being restricted, and legal letters of demand have been issued.' Contractors have had their contracts terminated for non-performance, and he named at least six. Legal proceedings have also been initiated against multiple service providers, including five he mentioned. 'These cases are currently with legal services and the Office of the State Attorney for recovery of financial damages,' he said. Macpherson said there was also blacklisting or recommendations for blacklisting of affected contractors. However, no implementing agent was directly responsible for the majority of project delays except for the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) in two instances. Macpherson said two contractors appointed under DBSA were terminated due to non-payment. The minister said the department has introduced several interventions to strengthen infrastructure delivery and avoid recurrence of inefficiencies. These included the establishment of internal units designed to professionalise and centralise oversight over planning and execution of infrastructure programmes, and a contractor development programme geared to improving the skills and capacity of emerging contractors to meet delivery standards. There is also a dedicated panel of pre-approved contractors that was being established to enable swift appointment where poor performance or termination occurs. Also in place were improved legal action and recovery processes. Macpherson also said stronger collaboration between legal services and the State Attorney was now yielding a pipeline of recovery litigation and summonses against defaulting contractors. The minister further said 38 construction projects had been delayed or halted in the past five years. 'The department is monitoring key construction projects that have experienced delays or have been halted. Notable examples include the Mamelodi Magistrate's Court, the Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance, and the Queenstown (Komani) police station.' He cited underperformance by certain contractors, which prompted the department to take corrective action, as the primary reasons for the delays.

IOL News
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The Western Cape's apple and pear industry is calling for the urgent privatisation of the Port of Cape Town, citing estimated losses of R1 billion in 2024 due to logistical inefficiencies and delays. Image: iStock The Western Cape's apple and pear export industry is sounding the alarm after estimating that logistical bottlenecks and delays at the Port of Cape Town have cost the sector approximately R1 billion in 2024 alone. Industry leaders are now calling for the urgent fast-tracking of the port's privatisation to prevent further losses and protect South Africa's market share in key global markets. The urgent plea was made during a strategic discussion and site visit yesterday between the Western Cape Department of Mobility and key industry players, including Two-a-Day and its logistics partner, Link Supply Chain Management. The meeting highlighted the critical, time-sensitive nature of fruit exports. Roelf Pienaar, managing director of Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, articulated the challenge. 'We work in a complex, time-sensitive value chain. If a vessel to Europe, the United Kingdom, or the Far East is missed, the sale is gone. You don't get a second chance to deliver on time in a programme-driven market,' said Pienaar. Pienaar added that the situation poses an existential threat to the industry. 'Logistics is the single biggest risk for us right now. If we can't get our product out, everything else, from on-farm innovation to market development, is compromised.' To mitigate delays, Chris Petzer, Two-a-Day's operations director, explained that containers are often diverted to Port Elizabeth, a costly measure taken to avoid halting on-farm harvesting and packing. 'It's not sustainable, but sometimes it's the only option to prevent greater losses,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Chris Knoetze, managing director of Link Supply Chain Management, a logistics provider for several leading fruit exporters, noted that while some interventions have improved crane productivity, the pace of change remains too slow. The ongoing inefficiencies, he stressed, have had a direct financial impact and have damaged the industry's reputation. 'When port operations are disrupted, it impacts product quality, increases costs, and damages our credibility with overseas buyers,' Knoetze said, before making a direct call to action. 'We urgently need to fast-track the privatisation of the Cape Town terminal to restore competitiveness.' In response, the Western Cape Department of Mobility, represented by Corrine Gallant, deputy director-general, confirmed that measures are being taken to address both landside and waterside inefficiencies. 'We are working on both the landside and waterside inefficiencies,' Gallant said. 'We cannot afford more costs in the chain, our focus is on solutions that remove bottlenecks and protect jobs.' However, industry representatives warned that time is running out. Gerhard van Heerden, also a director at Link Supply Chain Management, stressed the need for urgency from the port itself. 'The farmers, pack-houses, and exporters are investing in efficiency every day,' he said. 'Now we need the same urgency and commitment at the port, because without it, the entire value chain is at risk.' This sentiment was echoed by Isaac Sileku, Western Cape Minister of Mobility, who emphasised the need for structured collaboration and swift execution to prevent further delays. 'We cannot afford to be reactive. We must have formal agreements and mechanisms in place so that when bottlenecks arise, we know exactly which button to press. Speed of execution is critical, our farmers and exporters cannot wait years for solutions,' Sileku said.