Staff Reporter
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday presided over the first Presidential Infrastructure Commission Council meeting under the 7th administration held at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
The council is constituted by the President, Deputy President, Ministers designated by the President, Premiers of Provinces, Executive Mayors of Metropolitan Councils and the chairperson of the South African Local Government Association.
The council tackled key issues, including combating crime and extortion at construction sites, assessing progress on priority infrastructure projects, and advancing strategies to accelerate infrastructure investments across South Africa.
The also council noted the completion of 19 Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs), valued at R26 billion.
These include six in transport, three in water and sanitation, one in energy, four in human settlements, and five in student accommodation.
Additionally, 82 projects worth R437 billion are currently under construction, reflecting substantial progress in the national infrastructure agenda.
Presidency said in a media statement that the Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) has played a vital role in expediting regulatory processes.
Between 2020 and 2024, ISA handled 654 regulatory unblocking requests, of which 497 have been approved, while 157 are in progress.
The total value of SIP projects gazetted since 2020 has grown to R3 trillion, driven by initiatives such as the Eskom Programme (SIP 8, 9, and 10), the Embedded Generation National Programme, and the Green Hydrogen National Programme (SIP 20E).
The council further highlighted the need to improve municipal infrastructure service delivery by adopting ISA’s Five-Case Model.
This methodology focuses on project preparation, planning, prioritisation, business case development, and funding mobilisation, with implementation supported by innovative solutions and effective monitoring.
Four municipalities have been selected for the “Adopt a Municipality” pilot initiative: Govan Mbeki Local Municipality in Mpumalanga, Kagisano-Molopo Local Municiapity in the North West, Umngeni Municipality in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Metsemaholo Local Municipality in the Free State.
“This initiative, spearheaded by ISA, will address critical service delivery challenges including persistent incomplete projects and infrastructure issues,” the Presidency said in a statement.
“ISA aims to drive urgent improvements over the next 24 months, with some projects being completed during this timeframe. ISA will hold further consultations on the next cohort of municipalities to be added to the initiative.”
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