Madam Speaker
Deputy Speaker
Honourable Premier, Mr ES Magashule
Honourable Members of the Executive Council
Honourable Members
of the Legislature
Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure,
Roads and Transport and Human Settlement
Executive Mayors, Mayors, Speakers and Councillors
Director-General, Heads of Departments and Municipal Managers
Distinguished guests
Comrades and friends
Introduction
Madam Speaker
It is of importance and proper that as the department we join millions of South Africans in sending our heartfelt condolences to the Chabane family, and his two protectors Sergeant Sekele and Lentsoane, ANC, the Alliance as a whole and the people of South Africa. This great loss happens at a time when we are rejoicing over the return of mortal remains of the two martyrs and outstanding heroes of our struggle for national and social emancipation.
Comrade Moses “Malume” Kotane and Comrade J.B. Marks from Moscow, Russia. The mortal remains of Malume Kotane were put in their resting place on Saturday 14 March 2015 and the mortal remains of comrade J.B. Marks will be buried on the 22 March 2015.
This tragedy occurred at a time when we are also starting to engage on the content and the meaning of the second, more radical phase of transformation from colonial apartheid oppression to a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic South Africa.
Madam Speaker; we are in the second year of the fifth term of the democratic government. This landmark presents a historic opportunity for us to assess the progress we are making in our historic mission of building a “Better Life for All”. We are presenting this policy statement and budget vote of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure on the 60th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter, the blue print of our National Democratic Revolution.
Our budget is informed and forms the basis of our country’s 2030 National Development Plan (NDP) that commands us to draw on our collective successes and failures as a nation and commit to improve our future. As a department, we are proud of the progress in infrastructure delivery and on our contribution to the creation of work opportunities in the province. We believe, Madam Speaker; that we continue to answer the call of the Freedom Charter “ The People Shall Share in the Country’s Wealth” and “ There Shall be Work and Security” which continue to remain our national priorities.
Madam Speaker
The department’s priorities are informed by the Presidents observations in his state of the nation address on 12 February 2015, that whilst progress has been made by the democratic government since the dawn of democracy, a vast number of our communities remain trapped in poverty, joblessness and inequality. Conscious of the President’s observations, and aware of the Provincial priorities as articulated by the Premier during the State of the Province Address on 24 February 2015, it is of importance to reflect on how the department has located these imperatives within its programs. For the up-coming financial year 2015/16, Madam Speaker, the department has been allocated an amount of R1 491.935 billion.
This represent a 7.73% increase from the previous financial year 2014/2015 of R1.385 billion. It is important to mention that 27.00% namely R402.802 million of this amount is for compensation of employees. While the remaining R1.089 billion is for the rest of the programmes of the department. Included in the R1.089 billion is R185.791 million for capital projects of which R118.309 million goes towards our Township Revitalisation Programme and R33.131 million for EPWP non–infrastructure projects.
Madam Speaker
In heeding the Premier’s call of working to improve service delivery, create work opportunities and contribute towards our goal of a better life for all, the department will continue using the Integrated Infrastructure Delivery Improvement Programme (IDIP) to meet infrastructure delivery needs of provincial departments. In addition, the Property Management portfolio will continue to ensure that there is better planning and management of immovable assets through adherence to the provisions of the Government Immovable Asset Management Act (GIAMA) as well as maintaining a credible Immovable Asset Register. It is through this division that the department continues to claim its mandate as the custodian of immovable assets in the Province.
The President, in his State of the Nation address, called for the creation of work opportunities and skills development using infrastructure development. In line with this the department will continue with the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The EPWP is designed to contribute towards skills development as well as affording women and youth work opportunities.
Administration
Madam Speaker
The enhancement of the departmental human capital capacity during the past 24 months in especially property management, finance, risk management and internal audit contributed significantly to the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure achieving an unqualified audit during the 2013/14 financial year. All of these units with the exception of risk management are headed by women. We have progressed significantly in our endeavour to achieve the 50% gender representation and our staff establishment currently reflects 51% male, 49% female and 2.26% differently abled.
This is a significant improvement from the statistics in 2010 which showed 55% male and 45% female.
In addressing departmental skills requirement and competency gaps, the department will vigorously address gender representivity, youth and the disabled where the candidates possess adequate competencies.
To stimulate the growth of competencies in the department,136 part-time bursaries to employees which commenced in the 2015 academic year were awarded. The distribution from a statistical point of view entails 96% Africans, 2% Whites, 2% Coloureds, 52% females and 48% males. 21% of allocated bursaries is in line with scarce technical study fields. This educational initiative will assist stimulating a culture of learning in the department of which 9.9% of staff is currently pursuing further qualifications.
The department in the last financial year has employed 195 individuals in a full-time capacity and 260 security learnership participants in a part-time capacity. Furthermore, the department based on human capital needs, has embarked on a process to absorb contract workers who possess the necessary competencies in a permanent capacity.
