A long standing plan to blacklist errant construction company owners is being fast tracked by newly appointed KZN Public Works MEC Martin Meyer.
"Companies which do not deliver to what is expected of them will be blacklisted which includes the owner. I will also be engaging, through cabinet, with the rest of government and even on national level, for a national database so those who are blacklisted in one department can't go and get work from another department," Meyer told IOL in an exclusive interview.
Millions are being lost to the country's coffers as errant contractors leave projects unfinished after being paid for part or all of the work. The Department of Public Works which is responsible for building projects for government departments must then restart the tender process leading to prolonged delays in completing the project. Coupled with this, construction projects are also affected by so-called construction mafia which has been accused of hijacking projects or bringing them to a halt if work if work is not subcontracted to their members.
"Dealing with errant contractors is one issue. When I was sworn in the first thing the Head Of Department said to me is 'I'm your new HOD. We are broke.'
"I thought he was making a silly joke. Then I got the financials the next day and we are broke. It’s 100 times worse than I thought when we were in opposition. As a department, we are in severe financial difficulty, our projects are delayed. It takes us 26 months to build a school while it takes some other provinces only eight months to build a school," Meyer explained.
Fresh into his new portfolio, Meyer, a Democratic Alliance member, has dived straight in with a crackdown on his department. This includes a complete overhaul and turnaround plan to breathe new life into the ailing, financially broke and demoralised department. He's established a team to fast track problem solving, is engaging with all stakeholders, including controversial business forums to address issues around the construction mafia, ordered a forensic audit of the department of the past eight years and is in discussions with the private sector to invest in the province.
A complete audit of unused government buildings is also being compiled by his department with a plan to make them fit for purpose. "We are paying millions in rates or rentals for these unused buildings some of which have been left completely stripped and abandoned, yet we are paying rates on them. So we are happy to listen to proposals from anyone wanting to come on board with investment to turn these buildings around. We will look at how we can make this a bankable investment for them and also for us from a social perspective," added Meyer.
Despite the challenges and the inherited mess, Meyer is confident things will get better. In a subtle jibe at the previous ANC administration, Meyer says there is still hope.
"For too long this department was used as a cash cow. But there's new political will now so we will see changes. There is a silver lining," he says.
IOL