Public Works Minister Hon Thulas Nxesi has once again urged property specialists to join the department.
Speaking during the Property Sector Charter Executive Property Owners Breakfast in Rosebank, Johannesburg, the Minister said there were challenges in the property sector that needed to be addressed by both the public and the private sector.
“The department remains responsible for the regulation and transformation of the construction and property sectors, and to advise government on the best practices in this respect. Racially skewed property ownership patterns need to be addressed, and the construction industry has to create an environment where emerging contractors graduate into sustainable businesses,” said the Minister.
Minister Nxesi also briefed delegates on the progress made thus far with regards to the department’s role in regulating and transforming the construction and property sector. He said the Construction Sector Charter Council had been registered as a section 21 Company and the National Contractor Development Programme (NCDP) was launched in December 2012 to co-ordinate contractor development. On the property policy side, he said the Property Sector Charter Code was gazetted in June 2012 – a journey which started in 2003.
The Minister also emphasised that the objectives of the Property Charter include promoting economic transformation in the Property Sector in order to enable meaningful participation of black people including women; unlocking obstacles to property ownership and participation in the property market by black people; promoting property development and investment in under-resourced areas; achieving a substantial change in the racial and gender composition of ownership, control and manage and enhance the participation of black people, including black women and designated groups in the property sector; as well as increasing the pool of intellectual capital amongst black people, particularly women.
“Now we come to the issue of implementation and here we must honestly acknowledge that implementation has not been as rapid as we would have hoped. There are a number of reasons for this – many having to do with the historic challenges which were experienced by the Department of Public Works,” said Minister Nxesi.
The Minister assured the delegates that these challenges are being addressed. He said among other things, the department had established a Property and Facilities Management branch, adding that the recruitment of property professionals from the private sector to assist the department was underway.
In conclusion the Minister said he trusts there is an appreciation that Public Works is moving forward, particularly on transformation of the property and construction sectors.
“Colleagues, we are at crossroads. As we re-establish the functionality of the department, we simultaneously need to reclaim the mandate of the department – including in relation to property policy and transformation. As Minister of Public Works I am fully aware of the role we have to play as the catalyst for change and transformation in the sector – and I commit the department to this process. We can only achieve this if we work with the property sector,” said Minister Nxesi.
