Monday, March 23, 2020

It is essential that every person in this country adheres strictly – and without exception – to the regulations that have already been put in place and to the measures that I am going to announce this evening. Our analysis of the progress of the epidemic informs us that we need to urgently and dramatically escalate our response. The next few days are crucial. Without decisive action, the number of people infected will rapidly increase from a few hundred to tens of thousands, and within a few weeks to hundreds of thousands. This is extremely dangerous for a population like ours, with a large number of people...[Read]

Sunday, March 15, 2020

The world is facing a medical emergency far graver than what we have experienced in over a century. The World Health Organisation has declared the coronavirus outbreak as a global pandemic. There are now more than 162 000 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus across the globe. Given the scale and the speed at which the virus is spreading, it is now clear that no country is immune from the disease or will be spared its severe impact. Never before in the history of our democracy has our country been confronted with such a severe situation...[Read]

Wednesday, February 25, 2020

The Department of Public Works and Roads would like to inform you that we have decided to close all sites in line with the declared National Disaster and Country-wide lockdown announced by the State President on 23rd March 2020. Please be informed that the Department will communicate with service providers in line with the provisions of the JBCC contract to ensure that the project timelines are adjusted and the sites are safely secured during this period. The Department has requested for a legal opinion in this regard and will communicate as soon as it is received...[Read]

Monday, March 23, 2020

On 15 March 2020, the President declared South Africa as a national state of disaster, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In direct response to this the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) will be implementing the following precautions to prevent the further spread of the Coronavirus 2019 on SANRAL projects and projects sites: Design phase progress meetings will be carried out by video / teleconferencing until further notice. All on-site meetings (site meetings, technical meetings, PLC meetings) are suspended for all parties until 15 April 2020 at which time the situation will be reviewed.Critical site operationaland PLC matters/ issues to be resolved via video / teleconference where possible...[Read]

Thursday, March 05, 2020

Infrastructure delivery in the province remains a challenge with issues ranging from underspending, increased accruals, huge project cost and time overruns. A common thread with the lack of infrastructure delivery is the glaring absence of sound, credible and integrated planning in contravention with infrastructure Delivery Management System (IDMS). The Provincial Treasury during the 2019 adjustment budget reduced the infrastructure budgets of departments with an amount of 80 million due to lack of proper planning in line with the “No Plan, No Budget” principle. Groups of people who have and continue tto disrupt tender briefings arraged by proviincial departments and municipalities were also rebuked ...[Read]

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Public servants do crucial work for our country, often in trying conditions. The governing party is a firm believer in the critical role of the state in development. For this reason, we need qualified, motivated and effective staff. Working with the public sector unions, we have over the past 15 years sought to improve the lot of public servants, and we have committed significant resources for compensating them every year even as we have tried to increase their numbers in recognition of their demanding workloads. Between 2006/07 and 2011/12, we were able to add about 190 000 employees. However, at the same time government wages also increased significantly. To balance the books, we slowed hiring, and since 2011/12...[Read]

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Our Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille has instructed that all tender processes be opened immediately for public scrutiny, meaning that the public will be allowed to sit in on tender procedures where we evaluate the bids. They will also be allowed to sit in when we adjudicate the successful bidders." She made the statement lin Cape Town last night after outlining some of the measures the department would be undertaking to deal with corruption plaguing it. The department would be instituting lifestyle audits "starting with the minister between...[Read] [Speech]