Editor’s comment

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inclusive economy

South Africa’s Economic Reconstruction Pavement innovation and Recovery Plan places an Within the South African roads sector, there is a emphasis on massive infrastructure wealth of experience and expertise to draw from build programmes. These will serve across the OEM, contracting, consulting and roads as the direct and indirect catalyst for large-scale job creation, inclusive growth and reindustrialisation. Energy, high-frequency spectrum, ports, roads and rail will receive renewed investment, alongside social infrastructure, such as housing, water and sanitation.

During his presentation of the plan to Parliament, President Ramaphosa stated, “By the end of June 2020, we had 276 catalytic projects with an investment value of R2.3 trillion.” He added that a “list of 50 strategic integrated projects and 12 special projects was gazetted in July 2020. These catalytic projects have been prioritised for immediate implementation with all regulatory processes fast-tracked – enabling over R340 billion in new investment.”

That’s especially welcome news for the hardpressed construction sector, which eagerly awaits the first phases of implementation. But the agency segments. We have a national road network that remains one of the most advanced in the developed and developing world. The key challenge is the need to address the maintenance backlog on our secondary and low-volume roads, since this has a direct impact on government’s initiatives to revitalise our struggling rural economies.

We have the solutions, thanks to South Africa’s highly advanced asphalt industry – globally recognised as a pioneering sector. Led by our academics, engineers and producers, the local industry continues to push the boundaries in terms of materials, product innovation and construction techniques. In this month’s Sabita Who’s Who feature, we showcase a range of excellent examples. They include cost-effective solutions that stretch and optimise maintenance and construction budgets, without compromising on standards.

question remains: When will this implementation take place and what percentage of these roll-outs are expected to be public-private partnerships? Hopefully, ‘shovel ready’ projects will start to come on stream from Q1 2021.

Rural and municipal roads

Among the initiatives planned within the next six months are upgrades to rural and municipal road infrastructure, incorporating labour-intensive construction (LIC) methods. That provides an opportunity for the government and industry to revisit the viability and track record of past Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) projects.

We need to investigate and apply the technologies and techniques that have proven to be successful locally and internationally. Rather than providing purely temporary work, the EPWP can serve as an excellent platform to upskill and empower communities with sustainable construction skills. In this issue, Professor Robert McCutcheon, a renowned academic, presents his thoughts on the subject.

A restart

The Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan is a logical starting point for the building of a new economy. It’s also an opportunity to reform elements of maladministration that have impeded the intended goals and targets of the National Development Plan 2030.

These and other strategies support and drive the change we need to see within the context of South Africa’s unique history. However, their motivation and focus are not exclusive and are shared equally by all private and public leaders globally. It’s encouraging to see that there’s a collective will to build more coherent and participative societies. The proof, of course, is in its execution.

Alastair

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INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT • SERVICE DELIVERY • ROADS • BUILDING • MAINTENANCE

Value engineering for flexible pavements INDUSTRY INSIGHT Martin Murphy Managing Director, GeoNano Technologies

Sabita Who’s WhoTrends and technologies in asphalt Concrete expertise for WBHO’s BRT contract

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