President’s comment

Coming together for positive change

The looting and civil unrest that flared up in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal this month has sent shockwaves throughout the country. The economic cost is estimated to run into the billions, yet the social cost could be far greater, as the ramifications filter through to every corner of society.

The aftermath of the July unrest has, however, showed an upside through widespread evidence that our society in general has shown an even greater desire to unite and build, rather than embark on senseless anarchy. This and delivered, so that labour-intensive construction elements are incorporated to create jobs. We also need to find faster and more cost-effective forms of construction that can narrow the gap in South Africa, which, according to the World Bank, remains the planet’s most unequal society. The fact that service delivery protests have become a common feature of our lives as municipal engineers underscores this.

The only way to address the gap is by bringing business and government together to create an enabling environment for a meaningful post-Covid-19 recovery founded on infrastructure build programmes. We have the solutions – and the will – but we need the funding and an enabling framework for implementation. Part of that solution lies in skills and job-creation initiatives like the War on Leaks campaign, the Expanded Public Works Programme, and the Construction Industry Development Board’s BUILD programme.

Bhavna Soni, president, IMESA has been demonstrated by the community clean-ups, as well as the donations that have started to flow through.

To create a more inclusive society, it’s clear that we need to invest more and urgently in social infrastructure, like ITC, electrification, housing, water and sanitation. But finding solutions to the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment isn’t going to happen overnight.

The challenges of addressing service delivery in the short to medium term will also become even more complex. This is because the emergency repairs required to fix damaged infrastructure will place further strain on already stretched infrastructure budgets. The rates and taxes accruing to municipalities will also be affected by those SMMEs and larger businesses that will be cash constrained as they start to reinstate their operations.

According Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Acting Minister in the Presidency, an estimated 150 000 jobs are at risk, with government now consolidating proposals for a package of interventions.

The need for innovative solutions

As engineers, we’ll need to be even more innovative in the way projects are designed

Training and mentorship

Within the municipal space, a priority in helping to achieve these and other initiatives is to ensure that adequate professional capacity is in place. Working with key stakeholders like the South African Local Government Association, IMESA’s mandate is to support our members through ongoing training and mentorship programmes.

Municipal engineers and municipalities remain the critical interface in executing socioeconomic programmes. That commitment and the required expertise is a crucial catalyst for revitalised growth and prosperity across the board in South Africa.