Alan Fuchs
The recent visit by the National Council of Provinces to Gauteng has laid bare the shocking inefficiencies of the province’s infrastructure development entities.
These entities, entrusted with billions of rand to improve the lives of residents, have instead devolved into a chaotic mix of waste, mismanagement and incompetence.
The numbers alone tell a damning story: a report from the Office of the MEC for Finance has revealed that a staggering 45 infrastructure projects are either incomplete or delayed, requiring a further R645 million to finish.
Even this figure is understated. It excludes massive failures such as the AngloGold Ashanti hospital project, where an eye-watering R500m was squandered on refurbishments, only for the hospital to be abandoned. Add to this the Montrose Mega-Housing project, worth R11 billion, now standing as a vandalised monument to inefficiency.
The Department of Infrastructure Development has come up with a different number of “distressed” projects, flagging 58 projects needing R1.3bn to complete.
This level of dysfunction is unforgivable. The Gauteng provincial government has consistently failed to address the underlying issues plaguing its infrastructure projects. There is a distinct lack of skill and expertise, with underfunded departments limping from one crisis to the next.
Even more damning is the absence of accountability. Politicians and officials alike are never held to account for these failures, while taxpayers continue to foot the bill for their incompetence.
Weak municipalities, already struggling to deliver essential services like water and electricity, are another contributing factor.
Yet, Premier Panyaza Lesufi has done little to intervene. He has acknowledged the problem but, like so many other leaders, he has chosen the path of least resistance, preferring to ignore the depth of the crisis rather than confront it head-on. This is not leadership but negligence.
As the economy continues to decline due to poor policy decisions and mismanagement, there is less and less money available to address Gauteng’s infrastructure needs. Projects are implemented in a piecemeal fashion, delayed until a budget becomes available. The consequences are devastating.
Residents are left in the dark, with no idea when, or if, these projects will ever be completed. One glaring example is the fire compliance project at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, where R1.7bn is required to complete the work – money that doesn’t exist.
Despite countless allegations of inefficiency, wastage and corruption, the political leadership in Gauteng has been weak in addressing the issue. This is not a failure of oversight; it is a betrayal of the public trust. Infrastructure projects with large budgets are prime targets for criminal syndicates, yet the government has done little to protect these assets.
It’s time to confront the uncomfortable truth: the current institutional model for infrastructure development in Gauteng is broken. Departments operate in silos, spreading scarce resources and expertise too thin.
Worse still, any attempt to consolidate functions is met with political resistance from those intent on protecting their personal empires. This self-serving behaviour is why Gauteng continues to suffer under incompetent leadership.
The people of Gauteng deserve better. It’s time for Premier Lesufi to stop turning a blind eye to the chaos and take decisive action. Without swift and effective intervention, Gauteng’s infrastructure will remain an embarrassment, and the province will continue its slow, steady descent into dysfunction.
Alan Fuchs MPL is DA member for the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa).