Infrastructure delays cost R444. 7 million, reveals Minister Macpherson
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
40 minutes ago
- IOL News
Rescue teams continue search for missing pilot after Durban plane crash
The search for a missing pilot is set to resume on Friday. Image: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers Rescue teams are expected to continue their search for a pilot, aged 61, who went missing following a plane crash in Durban on Thursday. The accident occurred just before 2pm, when the ZS-AEC Extra 300 aircraft that was performing its final display crashed into the sea. Emergency services rushed to the Suncoast Beach after people reported seeing a plane crashing into the ocean. Emergency services and response teams at the scene Image: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers 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 KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda stated that the pilot, who was part of an airshow, was in the air demonstrating his skills when the aircraft crashed. "Police Search and Rescue teams, working together with their private counterparts, have recovered some wreckage of the aircraft, and the search for the pilot is ongoing," he said Meanwhile, the Accident and Incident Investigations Division (AIID) confirmed that an investigation is under way. "The AIID will provide updates as soon as further information is available," said Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson, Sisa Majola. Rescue teams carry part of the plane recovered from the sea Image: Doctor Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers
IOL News
14 hours ago
- IOL News
Westville Prison's new bakery: A dual benefit for inmates and taxpayers
Correctional Services Minister Dr Pieter Groenewald tastes a piece of bread baked by Westville Prison inmates at the new Durban Management Area Bakery at the prison. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers The opening of the Durban Management Area Bakery at Westville Prison in Durban was for the benefit of taxpayers and the rehabilitation of inmates. Correctional Services Minister Dr Pieter Groenewald said it was an honour to open the bakery because it will benefit South African taxpayers. 'This bakery can produce 3,840 loaves of bread daily. The rate is about 480 loaves of bread an hour,' Groenewald said. 'We have almost 50 inmates involved in the bakery, meaning they get a pre-training and then they also rotate in certain ways to ensure that they also are practically part of the process.' 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 Inmates at Westville Prison engage in hands-on training at the newly opened bakery, learning valuable skills for their reintegration into society. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers Groenewald said this is part of rehabilitation, ensuring that when the inmates leave Correctional Services facilities, they are successfully reintegrated into society. 'When they finish here, they will receive a certificate to say that, and this is part of their skills they have learned in Correctional Services, so it's a dual benefit for the inmates on the one side and the taxpayers on the other side,' Groenewald said. 'We will save more or less R3 million annually with this bakery. The facility cost us about R7 million, but it is an investment, so we must also see this as an investment; after about two years, we will have the full benefit.' Groenewald said they produce a loaf of bread for R8. Currently, through external suppliers, they pay almost R23.50 per 700g loaf of bread. He said bread plays a crucial role in the inmates' nutrition programme. Inmates rotate through various roles in the bakery, gaining practical experience and a certificate upon completion of their training. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers 'This is the 13th bakery in Correctional Services, and we hope by 2028 that we will have 20 bakeries,' Groenewald said. When he became minister, he said they must enhance the self-sufficiency of Correctional Services to benefit taxpayers. 'If you add the agricultural activities and all other activities, the previous year, through the management of the National Commissioner, we saved the taxpayers almost half a billion rand. Add to that the other benefit of rehabilitation for reintegration.' Groenewald told the inmates to see themselves as privileged to work in the bakery. They learn a specific skill. If they go out of the Correctional Services facilities, they will get a certificate saying they have worked and have the specific skills in terms of bakery. They will get a job easily when they are out, and some of them can even start bakeries. Correctional Services Minister Dr Pieter Groenewald highlights the dual benefits of the new bakery: enhancing inmate skills and reducing costs for South African taxpayers. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers 'So that is another bonus because we have an obligation as Correctional Services to ensure that there is successful law-abiding reintegration in our society.' Groenewald said that before selection, the inmates had their records looked at. They see what category of inmate they are. Then, in terms of different skills, they get selected and do a pre-course on bakery. 'There are about 50 of them, and from that, after they completed the pre-course, they come in in a practical situation, and they rotate them to ensure that they also are practically part of the process,' Groenewald said. 'In the end, at least you have 50 of the inmates in this specific bakery. Countrywide, this is the 13th bakery, and we hope to increase it to 20 by 2028.' Mlindeni Xaba, an inmate at Westville Prison, expresses gratitude for the opportunity to learn baking skills that will aid his future after release. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers Medium C inmate Mlindeni Xaba, 30, speaking on behalf of the inmates he works with in the bakery, thanked Correctional Services officials for the opportunity they gave them, for how they are treated, and for helping them choose the right path. 'We're also thankful for the skills they've imparted to us, so that we can use them when we are released,' Xaba said. He was handed an eight-year sentence for robbery and has been behind bars for two years.
IOL News
15 hours ago
- IOL News
The struggle for land reform in South Africa: why black farmers are still waiting
The Black Farmers' Association of South Africa says that land redistribution must be transparent, timely, and supportive of farmers' growth from subsistence to full commercial scale. Image: Karen Sandison / Independent Newspapers Black farmers who need to expand their production have pleaded with authorities for assistance after being unsuccessful in securing farm leases from the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development. They say that the delays in accessing land are limiting their productivity and contribution to the country's food safety due to its failure to give them land. One farmer said: 'I have been farming on about 100ha with stud and commercial herds, and have applied for farm to lease more than five times, to no avail.' He added that the only thing that will help farmers like him is a commercial bank, but livestock is not collateral. 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 ✕ Another farmer said: 'I would like to know what criteria the Land Reform Department uses to award land. I have been applying for such a long time to no avail. I am a poultry and bee farmer, and I'm also a vegetable farmer. I have grown from five village chickens to thousands of broiler chickens. The challenge is that I am only using 2,700Sqm of land for residence and farming. 'I farm what I can with limited resources, but grow from there. I would really like a bigger piece of land. The main purpose is to grow at least 40,000 broilers per cycle and bring in goats for milk, and be able to grow the required feed myself.' Dr Lennox Mtshagi, president of the Black Farmers' Association of South Africa (BFASA), said they are fully aware of the frustration expressed by their members regarding the slow and often opaque process of accessing agricultural land. 'The slow pace of land release stalls agricultural expansion, limits food security contributions, and keeps many black farmers in subsistence mode rather than commercial production. Lack of transparency in allocation fosters mistrust, discourages investment, and perpetuates inequality. Farmers cannot plan long-term without knowing if, when, or where they will receive land,' Mtshagi said. He added that since 2019, BFASA has formally engaged the department through written submissions, ministerial meetings, and parliamentary portfolio committee briefings. 'We have specifically called for the immediate release of the 2.5 million hectares currently under the State Land Lease and Disposal Policy, a transparent, published database of land available for allocation and inclusion of farmer organisations like BFASA in the vetting process to ensure fairness and speed,' Mtshagi said. While leasehold can be a starting point, it severely limits a farmer's ability to access bank financing, secure long-term contracts with buyers, and make infrastructure investments such as irrigation systems and packhouses. BFASA has been clear that secure tenure, preferably through full title, is essential for building generational wealth and sustainable agribusiness, he said. He added that the recurring challenges faced by black farmers applying for land include lengthy application timelines with no clear status updates, complex paperwork that is not farmer-friendly, inconsistent provincial implementation of national policy, lack of published criteria for successful allocation, and political gatekeeping, where deserving applicants are bypassed in favour of politically connected individuals. 'We are lobbying for policy change to prioritise ownership models, establishing partnership frameworks with private landowners willing to lease or sell directly to black farmers, using legal channels to challenge unfair allocation practices, and launching a national land reform tracker to monitor DLRRD performance. 'BFASA believes that land reform success depends on partnerships. We propose a multi-stakeholder Land Reform Council with the government, private sector, and farmer organisations. Blended finance models where banks, government grants, and private equity co-fund land acquisition and development, and public-private training hubs to ensure land recipients have the skills to farm commercially,' Mtshagi said. He added that BFASA remains committed to ensuring that land reform is not a political slogan, but a lived reality for black farmers. 'Access to land is the foundation of food security, rural development, and economic transformation. Our position is clear: redistribution must be transparent, timely, and supportive of farmers' growth from subsistence to full commercial scale,' Mtshagi said. Linda Page, spokesperson for the Department of Land Reform and Rural Development, said there is a transparent process for applications for land, which begins with an advert published on the department's website and other platforms, including newspapers. She referred to the Beneficiary Selection and Land Allocation Policy, which lists key aspects, as prioritising specific previously disadvantaged groups, ensuring a fair and transparent process, the policy providing a standardised national land application system. The policy also seeks to ensure that selected beneficiaries have the necessary skills and capacity to maintain and utilise the allocated land productively, among others. On the land that is in the hands of the government, Page said: 'The 2.5 million hectares are already leased out to black farmers and individuals, in line with the policy mentioned above. Therefore, the land in question is already in the hands of black farmers and other black individuals, and it is being used. The department acquired this land through the Pro-active Land Acquisition Strategy, and as indicated, it is leased out for different land use purposes.' She added that this land is not merely acquired and held by the department; it is in use through leaseholds. In 1994, total farm land with title deeds, thus outside what the apartheid government set aside for black people, covered 77.58 million hectares of South Africa's total surface area of 122 million hectares. During his 2024 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: 'Through redistribution, around 25% of farmland in our country is now owned by black South Africans, bringing us closer to achieving our target of 30% by 2030.' This gives a total of 19.3 million hectares or 24.9% of the total of all freehold farmland in South Africa, previously owned by white landowners, that has been restored, redistributed to black South Africans, or moved away to state ownership, according to agricultural experts from Stellenbosch University. Professor Johann Kirsten, the director of the Bureau for Economic Research at Stellenbosch University, said the issue of concern is that the state is now a major owner of agricultural land with more than 2.5 million hectares, which had been acquired by June 2023. This is through the Agricultural Land Holding Account Trading Entity, which acquires land and property under the Proactive Land Acquisition Scheme, implemented in 2006 to allow state ownership for programme lessees. 'Most of the roughly 2,500 beneficiaries have a 30-year lease agreement with the state. There are several farms where no agreement has been signed. The arrangement makes reference to the leasing of land. But there's no mention of the transfer or sale of land to beneficiaries,' he said. In a piece co-authored by Kirsten and Wandile Sihlobo, a senior fellow at the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University, and published by The Conversation, they highlight that calls for the state to redistribute the 2.5 million hectares of land to black farmers have fallen on deaf ears, and black farmers continue to despair. 'The government has been slow to distribute the land it has acquired. This shows that the problem of South Africa's land reform is not only about acquisition but also the distribution of land with title deeds to beneficiaries,' Kirsten and Sihlobo said.
