The Infrastructure Fund promotes an important advance in the infrastructure landscape

The Deputy Minister of Public Works, SIHLE ZIKALALA, stressed that since the Directorate of the State of the Nation of 2024 (SOUND), the Infrastructure Fund (IF) and its strategic partners have taken great steps in the infrastructure panorama.

“Seven financial projects have been added more combined with a capital value of R37.8 billion to the IF pipe that the president pointed out in the SOUND last week,” said Zikalala.

In his debate on the discourse of the State of the Nation, held in Cabo del Cabo on Tuesday, Zikalala said that under the sixth administration in 2020, 62 projects or programs, they were marked as SIPS (integrated strategic projects) with seven additional programs gazetized as Sips in SIPS in SIPS 2022.

“Taking into account the various GAZETED programs such as SIPS, we have approximately 268 individual projects gazetized such as SIPS, which are dominated by the energy sector under the integrated generation program, the green hydrogen program and the various offers of offers and preferred bidders, as announced. The DMRE (Department of Mineral and Energy Resources) and the Minister of Electricity and Energy (Kgosientso Ramokgopa), ”said Zikalala.

Zikalala revealed that the total value of these projects is estimated at around R3 billion, with 82 projects already under construction, valued at approximately R437 billion.

“The government commitment to these projects is estimated in around R13.8 billion during the medium term of 2025, which includes finance of first loss capital and innovative loss, short and long -term viability gap and instruments of debt that mock the projects. The associated financial addiction of the private sector and public capital contributions is estimated at around R24.2 billion, ”said Zikalala.

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Zikalala said that in the future, the Government will improve the preparation of the project by facilitating regulations that affect Public Private Associations (PPP) and will guarantee even more a faster turn in the Apps implementation unit, while the national treasure continues with Its general monitoring to avoid possible corrupt practices.

“This will ensure an increase in investment in any infrastructure that in turn will lead to the growth of gross capital formation, which is the main characteristic of our country’s balance while creating more skills and sustainable works.

“As a state of development, our approach to the development of infrastructure is not just about taking care of selective areas but of all South Africa. Every day, we play our role to reverse the evil legacy of the apartheid spatial planning that neglected poor municipalities and rural communities, ”said the minister.

Zikalala said that Welisizwe Prgramme’s rural bridges connects rural communities with each other and with comfort.

To date, 40 bridges have been completed in six provinces, with the highest numbers in Natal Kwa-Zulu, followed by the Eastern Cape.

The complete bridges include 18 in Kwazulu-Natal, 14 in the east of the end, 4 in Mpumalanga, 1 in the northwest and 3 in the free state, without any construction in Limpopo.

Zikalala said his department has also developed recovery plans for all provinces.

“We fix them to unlock the obstacles that affect the construction of bridges in that province (northwest). Before the end (from) March 2024, we will deliver six bridges completed in the northwest, ”said Zikalala.

Regarding the construction of ports, Zikalala said that by the end of March 2025, the Government would have completed feasibility studies that will allow the real construction of new small ports in Port Alfred (Eastern Cabo), Port Nolth (Northern Cape) and Port Edward (Kwazulu-Natal) so that local communities have fishing infrastructure.

“We continue to make sure that the 13 habits that we have restored at the western Cape are opened so that all communities exploit economic opportunities, including large and small fishing companies,” said Zikalala.

Zikalala said the Government has seen the impact of the Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP) in many communities.

“While the departments have fiscal challenges, the reduction of EPWP based on age is unacceptable. The working age in South Africa is 18 to 65 years and, therefore, none must be excluded, ”said the minister.

Regarding expropriation, Zikalala explained that the Expropriation Law draft grants the authority of Public Works and Infrastructure to expropriate land or assets only in public interest, with a compensation provided, even if that compensation is valued at zero.

Earlier this month, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the expropriation bill, which establishes how state bodies can expropriate the land in public interest for various reasons.

In a statement, the presidency said that the new legislation, which repeals the pre-democratic expropriation law of 1975, aligns the expropriation processes with the Constitution.

Section 25 of the Constitution recognizes expropriation as an essential mechanism for the State to acquire the property of someone for public purposes or in public interest, subject to fair and equitable compensation that is paid. – Sanows.gov.za