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The Portfolio Committee of Public Works and Infrastructure received a briefing from the Auditor General (AG) on Wednesday where the shortcomings of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) to deliver on its mandate were highlighted by the AG.
 
During the briefing, the committee heard that 107 projects in the public works sector had been delayed by an accumulating cost of R3.9 billion. According to the AG, these delays were primarily due to poor contractor performance, which prevented client departments from utilizing the intended infrastructure.
 
Of the 107 projects, sixty-three had been delayed by more than three years. The AG cautioned that the public works portfolio continued to fail in delivering quality projects on time and within budget.
 
The committee expressed concern that annual performance targets had not been met and that reported achievements were inaccurate. It stated that it was unacceptable that Property Management Trading Entity had been receiving negative outcomes for the past four financial years. The committee also noted with concern that although 86% of the budget had been spent on the key service delivery programmes at DPWI, only 20% of the planned targets were achieved.
 
The report from the AG to the committee focussed on areas which required the attention of the committee for oversight. It did not focus on the areas of success of the department such as the EPWP or on the Wellisizwe bridge building programme in rural areas. Neither did it focus on areas where the Department has put into strategies in place to mitigate the weaknesses. Moreover, it is important that the department is able to take action against those construction companies which are not performing or have not performed. The Committee is expecting the Department to report what it is doing to mitigate the shortcomings and improve its performance.
 
The committee further said the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure should have been present to account for his department. It said it was unacceptable that millions of rands have been spent on Telkom Towers while the building remains unoccupied, and millions spent on erection of a wall on the Kosi Bay border post that was left incomplete.
 
The committee planned to conduct oversight visits to the Telkom Towers and Salvokop government precinct from 10-11 October in the City of Tshwane. The Committee is expecting the department to drive improved performance in this financial year and expecting better performance in the AGs report for the financial year 2023/2024.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure, Carol Phiri