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The Public Works and Infrastructure Portfolio Committee Chairperson, Ms Nolitha Ntobongwana, has expressed disappointment and concern with the slow pace of transformation within the built environment. Committee members questioned why the Council for the Built Environment (CBE) had not seen major progress with registration of candidates and the overall transformation of the industry since reporting during the last financial year.
 
Acknowledging the lack of transformation, the CBE informed the committee that they are developing a broad based Social and Economic Transformation Strategy for the entire built environment industry. The CBE is also working closely with Industry players to ensure that more graduates are registered as candidates and progress to registered professionals.
As part of their oversight week the Committee met with the CBE, Independent Development Trust (IDT), Agrément South Africa, Construction Industry Development Board (cidb) and various other stakeholders who report to the Ministry and Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.
 
The CBE management also informed the Committee that they will work more strategically with all relevant departments and Public Works and Infrastructure to improve the skills of professionals while transforming the built environment. To this end, work place learning in the built environment breaches the gap between theory and actual practice and is aimed at students already pursuing studies and unemployed graduates.
 
Committee members questioned why entities within the same department were working in silos. They proposed that CBE work more closely with the cibd to promote the hire of unemployed graduates by both big and small contractors working on public projects. Entities were also encouraged to make use of government communication outlets to promote and market themselves and to raise awareness of their roles and functions amongst South Africans.
 
Presidents of the various Councils in the Built Environment also raised concerns regarding government policies not facilitating transformation in the industry. They informed committee members that policies within the built environment were anti-transformation. Acknowledging a skills shortage in the industry, committee members were told that policies do not prohibit engineers from working without being registered with a relevant council.
 
CBE board members called for policies to be reviewed in order to facilitate progress in transforming the industry. Public Works and infrastructure also acknowledged that despite excellent work done players in the built environment industry also needed to be more progressive towards ensuring transformation.
Ms Ntobongwana confirmed that the committee will discuss and introduce measures to ensure that entities reporting to Public Works drives the transformation agenda in the industry. The CBE will also be hosting a transformation indaba in October with all industry stakeholders.
 
Earlier this week the Committee met Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure, Ms Patricia De Lille, who informed the Committee that she had delegated the Deputy Minister, Ms Noxolo Kiviet, to deal with all Intergovernmental Relations matters including working with the entities, boards of entities, and oversight over them as implementing agencies of DPWI.
 
Minister De Lille also took the opportunity to inform Committee members that the review of the DPWI White Paper of 1999 will be accelerated and that her department would soon present the development of a new policy and dispensation for the Expanded Public Works Programme to the Committee.
 
The committee also called on the Waterkloof Air Force Base to be made safe from sinkholes due to dolomitic soil conditions. Committee Chairperson, Ms N Ntobongwana, said “sinkholes should not negatively impact the functionality, effectiveness and safety of the Base” as it is being used by the President and other Members of the Executive.
 
Ms Ntobongwana thanked all committee members for their productive participation in dealing with matters raised on the oversight tour. She also expressed her gratitude to all entities, DPWI, the Deputy Minister and the Minister for their participation.
 
Once back at Parliament a formal report will be drafted and submitted for discussion ad approval by committee members. Once approved, within the next two weeks, it will be submitted for further debate in the National Assembly.

Issued by The Parliamentary Communication Services On Behalf Of The Chairperson Of The Portfolio Committee On Public Works And Infrastructure, Nolitha Ntobongwana