Public Works Minister Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde has called on the engineering fraternity to put forward names of individuals that could participate in the secretariat that will be established to support the newly formed Presidential Infrastructure Coordinating Commission, which was convened for the first time by President Jacob Zuma on September 8.

Speaking at an ‘Engineering Summit’, hosted by the Engineering Council of South Africa (Ecsa) to improve the manner in which the profession engaged with government and other stakeholders on issues such as skills development and infrastructure delivery, Mahlangu-Nkabinde said that engineers were required to ensure that the commission made a meaningful contribution.

“If it is us [politicians] alone . . . it could be a case of politicians coming together and sharing their ignorance,” she quipped, adding that she also wanted at least six professional engineers advising her directly on her own contribution within the commission.

The body, which was unveiled following the midyear Cabinet lekgotla, would be supported by a management committee, chaired by Rural Development and Land Reform Minister Gugile Nkwinti, as well as the secretariat. It aims to accelerate the deployment of social and economic infrastructure, which is seen as key to bolstering the prospects for growth and job creation.

Besides Nkwinti and Mahlangu-Nkabinde, the management committee includes Minister in The Presidency responsible for the National Planning Commission Trevor Manuel, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel, Energy Minister Dipuo Peters, acting Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba. The provincial premiers were represented by North West Premier Thandi Modise, while the metropolitan council mayors would be represented by a South African Local Government Association representative.

Mahlangu-Nkabinde, who is on a charm offensive in a bid to repair her image, damaged due to her role in the police building lease matter, which was found by the Public Protector to have been irregular, emphasised the importance of built-environment professionals in improving delivery and offering a safeguard against corruption.

THUGS & THIEVES

She promised that her professional team at the Department of Public Works (DPW), which had been marginalised by “thugs and thieves”, who perceived the department as a “cash cow” to enrich themselves, would play a far more central role in future procurement processes.

No new leases or building works would be pursued without professional sign off, which Mahlangu-Nkabinde acknowledged could reduce the number of projects emerging from the department in the coming months.

“Contracts have been given to people who don’t even have a clue of what they are supposed to do,” she lamented, adding that collapsing infrastructure and disgraceful roads were also an attack on the integrity of the local engineering profession, which was being bypassed by opportunists.

Earlier, the DPW said it intended to cancel two controversial police building leases worth R1.8-billion. It was in the process of applying to the North Gauteng High Court to have the ten-year lease contracts for offices in Pretoria and Durban declared “null and void”, owing to evidence of corruption.

But the problems ran deeper, with a recent probe by the Special Investigative Unit of 41 DPW leases in Gauteng, worth R3-billion, being shown to be “noncompliant”. The SIU’s mandate had been extended to other provinces, which was set to make “me a very unpopular Minister”.

“But I am going to remain an unpopular Minister, because I’m not going to give a comrade, who has no clue, any business from Public Works. I will fight against that, because it is killing our democracy.”

However, some view Mahlangu-Nkabinde as an impediment, with the opposition Democratic Alliance calling for her head. "Instead of taking responsibility for fixing the mess, Minister Mahlangu-Nkabinde is attempting to divert the blame for the situation in the department to officials," DA spokesperson John Steenhuisen said in a statement.

She acknowledged her vulnerability, saying that she may not hold on to her position. “I don’t know how long I am going to stay . . . but even if I stay for three months, it will be three months of good decisions.”

She appealed for a proactive partnership with Ecsa and other engineering bodies to ensure that the profession made an input on the transformation of the industry, on new legislation and on new contractor levels under the Construction Industry Development Board.

Ecsa president Chris Campbell indicated that the summit was the first step in a journey to improve the profile of the profession and to raise its level of engagement with government.

Campbell said that, while Ecsa remained convinced of the value proposition of professional registration, which some still viewed as an impediment to transformation, it also acknowledged that more needed to be done to improve the conversion ratio of those graduating from engineering schools and those registering as professional engineers.