CAPACITY BUILDING AND ENGAGEMENT CRUCIAL FOR INFRASTRUCTURE RENEWAL

The need for greater collaboration was the underlining message as stakeholders met and discussed the role of the private and public sectors in infrastructure development and economic growth for KwaZulu-Natal at the CESA Presidential Function, held in Umhlanga, on 8 June.

During his presidential address, Olu Soluade, president of CESA, stated that clear guidelines, transparent processes and supportive policies would encourage private investment and foster a conductive environment, especially in KZN following the devastating flood damage experienced in 2022.

Naomi Naidoo, board and KZN branch member, CESA, concurred, indicating that it was key to show resilience in this time of great need to rebuild the province. She asked a pertinent question to all stakeholders: “Are we rebuilding our infrastructure fast enough to enable the lives of citizens to return to some level of normality in order to create employment opportunities and to drive economic growth in KZN?”

Investing in maintenance

Naidoo also stressed the importance of investing in maintenance in the province and highlighted that the floods in KZN really exposed the lack of maintenance prior to the devastation. For example, she added: “KZN has a serious water and sanitation challenge, which was amplified by the floods. Poor quality infrastructure, failing infrastructure and the absence of infrastructure in this environment are serious threats to the quality of lives of the people.”

“Moving out of the province, we are also all aware of the cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal in Gauteng. So, if we fail to address the poor, dilapidated water and sanitation infrastructure, we take the risk of inviting diseases into our homes and placing the health and livelihoods of South Africans at risk.”

Soluade added that the current water and energy challenges are stretching our resilience to the maximum, in addition to challenges related to transport systems, healthcare systems and educational institutions, to name a few.

Raising competency levels

He acknowledged the importance of raising competency levels in the public and private sectors to achieve the necessary progress. Soluade stated: “As engineers, we are called upon to make a difference.”

This viewpoint was reinforced by Lavern Moodley, chief civil engineer at eThekwini Transport Authority. He said there was a need for stakeholders to work together in planning for the future of transportation in the region. He also took the opportunity to discuss various projects undertaken by the authority to enhance traffic flow in KZN’s largest city.

Meanwhile, Mabuyi Mhlanga, programme manager: N2, Sanral, shared details about the plans and projects being undertaken by the state-owned entity. This included how Sanral is actively promoting the inclusion of SMMEs in the construction industry by providing opportunities for them to participate and contribute to projects, particularly on the N2/N3 upgrade programme, which she indicated is expected to take 60 months to complete at a budget of R5 billion.

Attendees also had the opportunity to ask pertinent questions, which predominantly revolved around funding mechanisms, project timelines, stakeholder engagement, sustainability considerations, and plans for transportation and road networks.

“In a nutshell, CESA’s mandate is to lobby for positive change within the regulatory environment to enable our members to better serve society,” Soluade concluded.