South Africa: Road Infrastructure Projects Must Benefit Poor Rural Communities in the Eastern Cape
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Transport, Mr Donald Selamolela, said big infrastructure projects must benefit communities by creating sustainable jobs that revive and revitalise the economy.
The committee is currently undertaking a week-long oversight visit to the Mtentu and Msikaba Bridge projects in the Eastern Cape. The oversight visit is part of Parliament's pilot project on the Oversight Priority Plan for the 7th Parliament.
Mr Selamolela said the Mtentu and Msikaba bridge project is as a model example of how the roll-out of such projects can up-skill and benefit local people. 'The committee has witnessed how the project's skills transfer is achieved and secure jobs are created,' Mr Selamolela said.
'Infrastructural projects, particularly in rural provinces like KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, should be the springboards upon which our economy is revitalised.'In addition to completed projects, there has to be a sustainable maintenance plan that contributes to sustainable jobs into the future, the Chairperson added.
The committee wishes to further emphasise the commendable progress and positive contributions made by government-led infrastructure projects and interventions. However, the committee is concerned to hear that significant projects, such as this one, are hijacked by community demands that are unrelated to the projects' objectives.
'Often these kinds of projects become a nightmare to complete as financial demands made by communities are not aligned with deliverables of the projects. We are aware of incidents where companies in the country had deserted sites, because of rivalry among community groupings and community leaders; this remains a serious concern for the committee,' Mr Selamolela said.
The committee's oversight visit programme aims to provide committee members with information on project maintenance, repair and infrastructure projects. 'The time to unleash the real potential of infrastructure projects is now. Everyone knows that these kinds of projects area game changer when it comes to employment creation and economic growth,' the Chairperson said.
Mr Selamolela called on communities surrounding the infrastructure projects to take ownership of the projects and fight any disturbances, including community demands for money. 'Half of our unemployment problems would have been resolved, if communities can work with our government,developers and implementers of road and rail infrastructure projects,' he added.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Iran's options against foreign aggression includes closing Strait of Hormuz, reports Mehr news
Closing down the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of daily global oil consumption passes, is one of the options Iran could take to respond against its enemies, a member of the Iranian Parliament National Security Committee presidium Behnam Saeedi told the semi-official Mehr news agency on Thursday. Iran has in the past threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz to traffic in retaliation for Western pressure, and shipping sources said on Wednesday that commercial ships were avoiding Iran's waters around the strait.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Zawya
Parliament gives final approval for Egypt's FY2025/26 economic, social development plan
Arab Finance: The House of Representatives has officially approved the draft economic and social development plan for fiscal year (FY) 2025/2026 in a plenary session chaired by Hanafi Gebaly, as per a statement by the Egyptian cabinet on June 17th. The session was attended by the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, and International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat. In her remarks following the approval, Al-Mashat expressed appreciation for the continued support of Parliament, emphasizing the importance of ongoing cooperation to advance Egypt's national interests. She noted that the plan was developed under difficult circumstances, which have since become more complex due to escalating regional developments. These changes necessitate a flexible and responsive planning approach, with the government committed to regularly reviewing performance indicators in light of shifting realities, she said. The FY 2025/2026 development plan targets an economic growth rate of approximately 4.5%, a significant increase compared to the 2.4% recorded in FY 2023/2024. The higher target reflects efforts to sustain economic recovery while managing the uncertainty stemming from geopolitical and global economic conditions. Preliminary indicators from the first nine months of the current FY 2024/2025 show improved growth trends, providing momentum for the upcoming year. The plan includes public investments amounting to EGP 1.16 trillion, compared to an expected EGP 1 trillion in FY 2024/2025. This increase is framed within efforts to rationalize public spending, reduce the burden of debt servicing, and create more space for private sector engagement in development. Private investments are projected to reach approximately EGP 1.94 trillion in FY 2025/2026, representing about 63% of total planned investments, while public investments account for 37%. The plan gives priority to high-implementation projects that support sustainable economic goals and encourage broader private sector participation. © 2020-2023 Arab Finance For Information Technology. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
3 days ago
- Zawya
South Africa: Higher Education Chairperson Welcomes Submission of Panel Names for Seta Board Chairperson Selection
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education, Mr Tebogo Letsie, has welcomed the submission today of a letter containing the names of panel members appointed to oversee the selection and recommendation of board chairpersons for the Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs). Mr Letsie noted that the committee has consistently held the view that the Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, is constitutionally obligated to disclose the names of the panel members to Parliament. 'We are pleased that sanity has prevailed and that the Minister has now complied with this requirement. The committee believes this disclosure should have occurred from the outset,' said Mr Letsie. He stressed the importance of transparency and accountability in institutions funded by public resources. 'We are dealing with public institutions funded through parliamentary appropriations. It was therefore baffling that the committee had to strongly remind the Minister of such a basic accountability requirement in our democratic governance system.' The names of the nomination panel for the SETA boards as submitted by the minister are as follows. Adv Terry Motau, SC (Chairperson): (but did not attend any of the meetings) Mr Asisipho Solani Ms Nelisiwe Semane Mr Mabuza Ngubane Ms Rhulani Ngwenya The Chairperson concluded by affirming that the committee will now engage with the Minister further on the processes followed in appointing chairpersons to lead South Africa's 21 SETAs. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
