Category: Key Issues

Transport Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga has expressed her sincere appreciation for the resolution of the recent taxi strike in Cape Town.

In a statement on Friday, the Minister congratulated all parties involved for reconvening and reaching an amicable solution that allows for the resumption of normal taxi operations within the city.

As the Minister responsible for transport, it is her duty to uphold the law and ensure the smooth functioning of public transportation systems.

She has commended the commitment shown by all stakeholders in working towards a resolution that aligns with the legal framework governing the industry.

While the strike has ended, the Minister emphasised that the talks that led to the resolution have set a 14-day turnaround time for further discussions.

The Minister will closely monitor these talks to ensure that the agreed upon solutions are implemented effectively and in a timely manner.

“The Minister and government deeply regret the adverse effects the strike has had on learners, workers and all those affected in Cape Town and its surrounding areas. The disruption caused by the impasse has had a negative impact on the local economy, and the Minister acknowledges the challenges faced by individuals who rely on public transportation for their daily activities.

“Tragically, the strike has also resulted in the loss of life. Minister Chikunga urges law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice. She extends her heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives during this period of unrest.

“The Minister’s primary concern is the safe transportation of commuters and visitors in and around Cape Town,” the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.

She called for a cessation of hostilities among the various stakeholders involved and urged them to engage in constructive dialogue to resolve any outstanding issues.

“In the coming days, Minister Chikunga will convene a media briefing to provide further updates on the situation and measures being taken to prevent future disruptions. The date and time of the briefing will be communicated shortly to ensure that the public and media are adequately informed.

“The Minister remains committed to ensuring a safe and efficient public transportation system for all, and she encourages all parties to work together to achieve this goal,” the Ministry of Transport said.

Government is fully committed to the implementation of the Eskom roadmap and the state retaining 100% control of the three separate entities – Generation, Transmission and Distribution, said the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE).

“The DPE is hereby correcting the misinterpretation and mischievous propaganda arising from a technical letter sent to the Eskom Board,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

The department reminded citizens that the intention to restructure Eskom was first pronounced by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2019 State of the Nation Address (SONA) when he mandated the process to transform the structure of the electricity industry to better serve the needs of the country.

The President announced the process of establishing three separate entities – Generation, Transmission and Distribution – under Eskom Holdings.

“The implementation of the Eskom roadmap and current legislation before Parliament will result in a restructured electricity industry.”

Globally, the energy sector is rapidly changing due to new technologies, transforming customer behaviours and climate change policies.

“Eskom’s current structure is no longer suitable to meet the country’s energy needs.”

According to the department, Eskom Holdings currently owns all Generation, Transmission and Distribution assets, of which these assets belong to the state.

“The reform of Eskom requires the ‘restructuring of Eskom’. This means establishing three separate companies housing Generation, Transmission and Distribution businesses – 100% owned by the state,” the statement read.

“To implement the above, corresponding assets need to be transferred from Eskom Holdings to each of the new companies.”

The department said this requires approval in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) Section 54 (2), (c) and (d).

In terms of this section, the department said the consent of both Ministers of Finance and Public Enterprises is required for the transfer of these assets into the newly established distribution company.

“The letter to the Board contains the consent of the Minister of Public Enterprises for the transfer of assets from the holding company to the newly established distribution company. Further work still needs to be done and agreed upon in relation to the business and the financial model of the newly established distribution company.”

The department believes that the restructuring process is a crucial part of ensuring energy security in the future for all South Africans.

“The DPE and government are fully committed to the implementation of the roadmap and to retaining 100% control of these entities.

“The public needs to be mindful that there are many vested interests who seem to be intent on undermining energy security and the restructuring process – both of which will be disadvantaging 60 million people.

“This is through misinformation and deliberate distortions aimed at undermining public confidence in the process. This is not in South Africa’s interest,” it said.

The department of Correctional Services has confirmed that former President Jacob Zuma reported to the Estcourt Correctional Centre on Friday morning and has since been released after being granted a “special remission”.

The National Commissioner, Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale, revealed his decision this morning during a joint media briefing with Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola.

“As the National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, I have exercised my discretion as per the SCA [Supreme Court of Appeal] judgement, in deciding whether or not to take into account the period served under Community Corrections by the former President, Mr Jacob Zuma.”

This comes after the SCA found that the National Commissioner’s decision to place the former Statesman on medical parole was unlawful and unconstitutional and that he had to complete his sentence.

The Constitutional Court sentenced Zuma to 15 months imprisonment in July 2021 and only served two months after he ignored a court order to testify at a State Capture inquiry looking into a web of corruption during his Presidency.

“In compliance with the SCA judgement, Mr Zuma did report back at Estcourt Correctional Centre this morning. A consideration has been made as per legislation, including processes that were already unfolding in the management of correctional services,” said Thobakgale.

“The administrative procedures have ensued and Mr Zuma has been processed accordingly.”

Thobakgale told the media that although both the SCA and the High Court considered the Commissioner’s decision as unlawful, Zuma was not discharged, but placed under community corrections where he continued serving his sentence, under strict conditions.

“Parole in South Africa is a form of punishment which is served by an inmate within the system of community corrections in terms of Chapter VI of the Correctional Services Act of 1998,” he explained.

“When Mr Zuma left a medical hospital upon placement on medical parole, he was continuously under community corrections serving his sentence. He was never a free man with effect from 8 July 2021.”

Meanwhile, Lamola announced that President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved the remission of non-violent offenders in South Africa.

“Obviously, a question will arise whether former President Jacob Zuma will benefit from this decision or not. Indeed, he’s one of the beneficiaries as a low-risk offender.”

According to the Minister, there are 212 286 inmates, including 9 351 foreign nationals, across the country’s 243 correctional centres and 218 community centres.

“Unfortunately, the current occupancy rate is 143%, with the overcrowding rate at 43.06%.

“The recent loss of 3 024 beds at Kutama Sinthumule due to fire means that overcrowding will increase by 4%, raising the overcrowding rate to 47.06% and in turn the occupancy rate will increase 147%.”

Lamola told the media this poses a direct threat to inmate health, security, and management, and it could lead to a surge in gangsterism.

“More importantly, it hampers the department’s ability to provide development and rehabilitation programmes.”

The Minister has described the remission of sentences as a crucial aspect of the country’s justice system.

“However, it’s important to note that certain offenders, such as those convicted of sexual offences, tampering with essential infrastructure, serving life sentences, and being declared dangerous criminals, are excluded from this criterion of this special remission.”

Despite this, he said low-risk offenders in these categories may still be eligible for a 12-month remission.

Meanwhile, those convicted of non-violent and nonsexual crimes will be eligible for up to 24 months of remission after completing the pre-release programme and risk assessment.

He said the decision will result in the deportation of 3 064 foreign nationals serving short-term sentences under the guidance of the Department of Home Affairs.

Additionally, he emphasised that it will alleviate overcrowding by releasing approximately 9 488 prisoners and a further 15 000 inmates who are currently under correctional supervision and parole.

“The exercise of exploring special remission commenced on 24 April 2023 when we lost approximately 1 112 bed spaces due to dilapidation in most of our centres.”

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde says the provincial government remains gravely concerned at the devastating impact caused by the strike called by the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) in the province.

This comes after six Golden Arrow buses were torched due to arson attacks since the taxi strike on Thursday, 3 August 2023.

This has forced the company to terminate its bus services in Khayelitsha, Nyanga, Philippi East, Langa, and Mfuleni, while many roads remain closed.

The Golden Arrow has since secured a court order on Sunday against Santaco to stop intimidating, harassing, threatening, or interfering with Golden Arrow, its employees, and passengers.

“I am appalled at the scale of violence that has not only dealt a severe blow to our economy and critical services but has also delegitimised and damaged Western Cape’s Santaco cause.

“This violence and damage to property has continued this morning. I will be holding a special Cabinet meeting this morning with key leadership from the City of Cape Town to assess what further steps need to be taken and the impact on services,” he said on Monday.

The Premier has again called for taxi leaders affiliated with the council to intensify all efforts to de-escalate the violence and urgently find a resolution to the dispute.

He added, “All sides, more especially residents and commuters, are being harmed by this stay away. We must find common ground now.”

Western Cape MEC for Mobility, Ricardo Mackenzie, said the province is concerned that the strike continues even after urgent engagements throughout the weekend.

“The withdrawal of minibus taxi services since Thursday has had a devastating impact. As the provincial government we are working extremely hard to resolve ongoing issues in the industry and establish new terms of engagement that will ensure the safety of commuters and road users.”

The provincial government said the impact on provincial government and municipal services has been profound.

Because of the strike, the province said 287 420 learners have not been able to attend school across the province since the sudden stay-away was called.

In addition, more than 9 000 teachers and staff were also prevented from going to work.

Meanwhile, the past Saturday’s matric extra classes had to be canceled, impacting 14 000 learners.

According to the Western Cape, many healthcare facilities have been forced to operate at reduced capacity.

These include Tygerberg, Red Cross, and Groote Schuur hospitals and the community health centres and clinics.

While Tygerberg and Salt River forensic pathology services are operational, the province said the response to scenes would be delayed in red zones, as this will also only occur under the protection of law enforcement escorts.

In addition, many Western Cape Department of Social Development staff will have to work from home, due to the volatility of the situation.

The department will also have to temporarily close its offices in several areas.

The Premier said: “This situation is untenable and unacceptable. Our residents cannot be forced to endure this lawlessness. All parties must return to negotiations”.

MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, Reagen Allen, has condemned the burning and damage to all property, particularly safety-related resources.

“Contingency plans have been adopted to ensure that the burning of the law enforcement vehicles in Delft will have no operational impact on the deployment of Law Enforcement Advancement (LEAP) officers in the area.”

LEAP, according to the provincial government, is fully operational and part of interventions where required across Cape Town in particular.

Red-zoned areas remain volatile. All law enforcement agencies are deployed across these communities and at strategic points.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) says integrated police deployments are currently dealing with incidents of public violence which erupted this morning in the Nyanga area as the looming taxi strike is yet to come to an end.

Roads in and around Nyanga and the Cape Town International Airport have been affected and traffic is severely backed up on the N2.

Incidents of busses torched in Borcherds Quarry Road are under investigation, and as yet, no injuries have been reported to SAPS.

“Our members will remain on high alert and deployed in numbers to ensure the safety of the public and to maintain law and order,” police said in a statement.

“We encourage any person who has been affected by an act of criminality to report the matter to SAPS immediately, so that an investigation can be initiated.”

The public is urged to be vigilant and to apply safety measures to avoid being caught off-guard during the taxi strike.

The Western Cape taxi strike continues after talks failed to reach an agreement.

The meeting was between Santaco taxi industry leaders, the Western Cape government and the City of Cape Town.

Centre to the taxi industry’s unhappiness is the ongoing seizure of minibuses.

In the first six months of this year, 231 rhinos were killed in South Africa, representing an 11% decrease when compared to the same period last year.

This represents a decline of 28 animals killed for their horn.

Addressing a media briefing on Tuesday, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, said during this period poaching trends also continued to show a move away from the Kruger National Park to provincial and private reserves.

“Forty-two rhinos were poached in the Kruger National Park and 143 in KwaZulu-Natal province from January to June 2023. Forty-six of the rhinos killed were in privately-owned nature reserves and 143 in provincially-owned reserves,” the Minister said in Pretoria.

Due to the demand for rhino horn remaining a constant threat to rhino populations, collaboration between the law enforcement agencies supported by private security remained key.

An important development in strengthening the collaboration between law enforcement to effectively address the organised nature of rhino poaching and wildlife trafficking is Cabinet’s approval National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT) in May this year.

“This strategy aims to break the illicit value chain of wildlife trafficking in South Africa and beyond its borders. It represents a commitment by government to direct law enforcement ability and effort and mobilise society support to address the threat wildlife tracking poses to national security and the country’s rich biodiversity.

“Although currently our main focus is rhino, the strategy also aims to address the illegal trade in, and poaching of, other species that are threatened by trafficking syndicates, like abalone,” Creecy said.

Joint initiatives pay dividends

In the first six months of this year efforts by both the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) have led to the conviction of 31 offenders.

The majority of sentences were custodial. In Skukuza, one suspect found guilty of killing three rhino and possession of unlawful arms and ammunition was sentenced to an effective 32 year imprisonment.

In another matter, three accused, found driving in Kruger National Park with five rhino horns hidden in the vehicle, a hunting rifle with a silencer, ammunition and knives, were convicted for the killing of three rhinos in the park, possession of unlawful firearms and ammunition, possession of dangerous weapons and trespassing.

Accused one and two were sentenced to 34 years imprisonment, while accused 3 was sentenced to 39 years imprisonment.

In Limpopo, an accused individual was sentenced on a charge of murder, killing of two rhinos, unlicenced firearm and ammunition to an effective sentence of 24 years imprisonment.

In the Eastern Cape, six accused were convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit rhino poaching, notably no rhinos were killed, and the possession of unlicenced firearm and ammunition and effectively sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 16 to 20 years.

“The role of rangers in supporting the prosecution and sentencing of those arrested for wildlife crimes committed in the Kruger cannot be underestimated.

“There is strong collaboration between the SAPS forensic teams and South African National Parks (SANParks) Environmental and Corporate Investigations (ECI) when attending crime scenes to ensure the collection of vital evidence to link suspects to the crime scenes. It is also done to ensure minimum contamination of the crime scene.

“During the meeting held earlier this year with the Director of Public Prosecutions’ Environmental Working Group we discussed the challenge relating to the opposing of bail due to the fact that rhino poaching is not listed as a scheduled offence.

“Research is being conducted to propose, if viable, legislative amendments to address this challenge,” the Minister said.

Creecy said it was unfortunate that rhino poachers have continued to target the Hluhluwe/iMfolozi game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal where Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, supported by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and iSimangaliso Wetland Park, continue to implement a number of measures to combat rhino poaching.

Among these has been the establishment of a Tactical Operations Joint Control Centre which now facilitates the SAPS deployments to Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Park (HiP).

The department has made available R40 million for the repair and replacement of the boundary fence around the Hluhluwe/iMfolozi game reserve, which is regularly breached and through which wild animals can escape to nearby communities.

The National Prosecuting Authority has designated a prosecutor to facilitate rhino cases in KwaZulu-Natal and cases have been prioritised and identified to be expedited through the court processes.

Criminal syndicates

In response to a range of studies that point out collusion between ranger services and criminal syndicates, the Kruger National Park has developed a holistic Ranger Services – Integrity Management Plan.

“This plan aims to improve ranger morale and resilience to corruption by providing services that enhance ranger health and well-being, provide training and counselling, offer a range of financial management services and debt management.

“The Ranger Service has also enlisted the Association of Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) Foundation to provide specialised financial literacy training for all field rangers. This was attended by 334 employees,” the Minister said.

SANParks has also established an integrity testing system – a polygraph policy – for new recruits and to support anti-corruption investigations.

To ensure the safe passage of tourists, SANParks has joined a task team championed by the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Fish Mahlalela, in collaboration with the traditional leaders of adjoining communities, the SAPS and private security companies to ensure constant patrols along the identified hotspots en route to the Kruger National Park.

“South Africa’s national parks are situated in areas of extreme poverty and are surrounded by many vulnerable communities.

“In order to ensure that communities on the outskirts of parks benefit from tourism and thus help to keep tourists safe, SANParks has held a number of stakeholder engagements with entrepreneurs in the past four years with regard to the provision of goods and services to our national parks.

“In addition, through Working for Water, Ecosystems and Wetlands programmes, we have created 33 222 work opportunities for communities living on the outskirts of our national parks,” the Minister said.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) says South Africa recorded a preliminary trade balance deficit of R3.5 billion in June 2023.

According to SARS, the deficit is attributable to exports of R167.6 billion and imports of R171.1 billion, inclusive of trade with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia (BELN).

“The year-to-date (1 January to 30 June 2023) preliminary trade balance surplus of R5.6 billion is a deterioration from the R129.6 billion trade balance surplus for the comparable period in 2022,” SARS said in a statement.

Year-on-year export flows for June 2023 were R167.6 billion, which were 8.3% lower compared to R182.9 billion for June 2022, whilst import flows were 6.5% higher, having increased from R160.7 billion in June 2022 to R171.1 billion in the current period.

“On a month-to-month basis, exports decreased by R15.8 billion (8.6%) from R183.4 billion to R167.6 billion between May and June 2023, whereas imports decreased by R2.7 billion (1.6%) from R173.9 billion to R171.1 billion over the same period.

“Export flows decreased in June, driven by iron ores and concentrates, vehicles for goods and vehicles for passengers.

“The value of imports decreased on the back of a decrease in importation of crude oils, telephone sets and unused postage stamps,” SARS said.

Due to ongoing vouchers of correction (VOC), the preliminary trade balance surplus of R10.2 billion announced for May 2023 was revised downwards by R600 million, with the final number at R9.6 billion.

Trade data, excluding BELN for June 2023, recorded a preliminary trade balance deficit of R14.7 billion, with export flows at R151.6 billion and import flows at R166.3 billion.

The preliminary cumulative trade balance deficit for 2023 was R54.4 billion compared to R72.6 billion trade balance surplus during 2022.

Between May and June 2023, exports decreased by R15.7 billion (9.4%), whilst imports decreased by R2.4 billion (1.4%) over the same period.

President Cyril Ramaphosa says although load shedding will not be resolved overnight, Eskom and government is making “significant progress” in areas aimed at reducing and eventually removing it altogether.

The President was addressing the nation through his weekly newsletter on Monday.

“Today, we are releasing a detailed report outlining the work done to improve the performance of Eskom’s power stations, accelerate the building of new generation capacity and drive regulatory reforms to transform the electricity sector.

“The winter months will soon be coming to an end. Although load shedding has continued, as was anticipated, we have managed to avert a worst case scenario by stabilising the performance of Eskom’s power stations and reducing demand,” President Ramaphosa said.

He explained that the power utility is hard at work to address challenges at power stations.

“Eskom’s generation fleet continues to show sustained improvement. Unplanned losses have been reduced to less than 16 000MW in in the last two months, down from more than 18 000MW previously. Planned maintenance has been reduced during the winter period, with Eskom having undertaken significant maintenance in the months preceding winter.

“Looking ahead, damaged units at the Kusile and Medupi power stations are being returned to service on an expedited basis. In combination, these units represent more than 3 000MW of capacity.

“The Eskom debt relief package announced by the Minister of Finance will enable necessary investment in maintenance and expansion of the transmission network,” he said.

Energy Action Plan

A year has passed since President Ramaphosa announced the Energy Action Plan aimed at addressing load shedding and achieving energy security for the country.

President Ramaphosa said since then, fervent work has been done “to add as much power as possible” to the vulnerable power grid.

“Eskom has unlocked close to 400 MW from companies with extra available capacity, and a further 600 MW is currently in the contracting process. We have sourced an additional 400MW from Cahora Bassa in Mozambique.

“We are fast-tracking the procurement of new generation capacity from renewables, gas and battery storage. Later this year, the first three projects from the emergency power programme are expected to connect to the grid. Also later this year, around 2 300MW from the most recent bid windows of the renewable energy independent power producer programme should be in construction,” he said.

President Ramaphosa explained that home and rooftop solar uptake is one of the key outputs of the Energy Action Plan coupled with accelerated private investment in capacity generation.

“It is encouraging to see that more municipalities are allowing customers to feed electricity into the grid when they have surplus electricity. This will provide yet another incentive for businesses large and small to invest in alternative energy sources.

“Regulatory changes have helped to boost private investment in new generation capacity. This work has enabled a massive boom in private investment in electricity generation, with a pipeline of more than 10 000MW of new capacity that will begin to connect to the grid later this year,” he said.

The President acknowledged that although load shedding remains a challenge, gains are being made in addressing it.

“We have maintained that load shedding will not be resolved overnight, but we are making clear progress towards reducing it and eventually bringing it to an end.

“Let us maintain this momentum, and let us all play our part, wherever we can, as we lay the groundwork for an energy secure future,” President Ramaphosa said.

Ending the intricate web of construction site disruptions which threatens lives and thwarts government’s mission of turning the country into a giant construction site that creates jobs and grows the economy, requires a concerted effort from all.

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Sihle Zikalala is acutely aware of this problem and the importance of the construction sector to the South African economy.

He has condemned these disruptions and subsequent extortions linked with it.

“It is important that we all speak with one voice in condemning site disruptions and extortion affecting this sector.

“It is even more important that we act together to root out these illegal practices which are bringing disrepute and dragging away investment in the South African construction and property sector,” the Minister told a recent Creamer Media webinar.

This as government and role-players have expressed concern over site disruptions which over time, have gained media coverage.

Zikalala has described the construction sector as the “backbone of the economy and social development” and a pillar for economic growth and recovery as per the instruction of President Cyril Ramaphosa when he presented the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Plan (ERRP).

Head of the Justice and Violence programme at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Gareth Newham said disruptions cause damage and affect the ability of the country to use construction in a way that drives economic development and prosperity.

Since taking office in March, the Minister has visited several construction projects to monitor progress.

Among these were blocked and delayed projects caused by the hijacking and disruption of project sites in KwaZulu-Natal.

The rising phenomena of so-called construction mafia who invade, intimidate and disrupt the delivery of projects on the ground has resulted in the opening of 605 cases.

Impact

While some arrests have been made, Zikalala has highlighted the importance of arresting, prosecuting and sentencing of those involved in the scourge that is mostly affecting KwaZulu-Natal.

According to the Minister, site disruptions have cost the economy R68 billion.

Vice President of the Black Business Council, Gregory Mofokeng said the industry is actively cooperating with the police on the matter while contractors have also obtained court interdicts in efforts to curb the scourge.

“Unfortunately, in most of these instances the very criminals do not respect the court interdict. So we find ourselves in a situation where once again we either have to go back and rely on the police to make sure that those court interdicts are enforced.”

He adds that the sector is not seeing “increased activity in terms of making sure that these very criminals are arrested and brought to book.”

Minister Zikalala said that following the intervention of the President, a police unit is now in place.

“I would say that since the unit came into being … there are results that we’ve seen though we have not reached a point where we see kingpins being arrested and sentenced which is quite key.”

Grievances

Meanwhile, a number of reasons have been given as to why some people engage in site disruptions.

Some feel marginalised and excluded from participating in economic opportunities that are available. According to the Minister, these individuals argue that government contracts are given to one and the same companies.

“They argue that when government says for any contract [awarded] that [is] above R30 million then 30% must be subcontracted. They argue that they are not given space to participate, even in that 30%,” said the Minister.

This is in light of the 2017 Preferential Procurement Regulations that state that public works contracts above the R30 million mark, should subcontract an element of 30%, if feasible to advance designated groups.

Commenting on the matter, Director of MDA Attorneys, Euan Massey said employers should be participative in the identification of work that can be subcontracted.

“This requires that employers are participative in the process of identifying work which can be subcontracted. They are therefore required to undertake a number of things firstly to ensure that the work that’s being awarded in that contract contains sufficient work that can be subcontracted to advanced designated groups,” he said.

While the country continues to battle historic challenges including poverty and inequality, site disruptions cannot be condoned.

“I must hasten to say there is no grievance among these that would justify site disruptions, extortion and sabotage of the economy,” said the Minister.

On the other hand, others are of the view that while they try to accommodate small business, some of these companies don’t deliver quality work and therefore fail to fulfil their obligations.

“The argument further says that those who are disrupting [sites] are sometimes given work but don’t want to work … they demand money. Now we must be able to confront this situation and deal with it in a way that will ensure that legality is preserved,” said the Minister.

Empowering communities

On the other side of the coin, is the imperative to ensure that companies are committed to transformation agenda of the country in that they should support small business, the youth, women and people with disabilities.

“In doing so, the policy commitment of localisation must be preserved in all areas.

“It is important that we continue to work together to meet the targets that we’ve agreed upon in the transformation charter of the built environment,” said Zikalala.

He added that when construction projects are commissioned, communities must be briefed to ensure their buy-in in the project adding that the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) will strengthen its internal social facilitation unit.

Mofokeng said the industry is geared towards empowering communities.

“As the construction industry we are geared towards empowering local subcontractors. We are geared towards …creating employment for the locals but the problem comes in where people are saying it is me who is not benefiting therefore this project must stop.”

Sector observations

Chairperson of the Construction Association of South Africa’s (CASA), John Matthews said site disruptions largely occur in the post-implementation stage of a particular contract. That it is often accompanied by the threat of violence or the act of violence itself.

One of the other worrying observations made by the industry when coming to site disruptions is that in some areas, councillors were also being co-opted by criminal elements.

“[This is] especially at the local level where you find that some of these criminals in fact pitch up on construction sites to talk to main contractors with the counsellors.  You find that the counsellors are now also involved in this whole unfortunate incidents where they are actually encouraging people to come and stop projects simply because certain individuals in the community are not directly benefiting,” Mofokeng said.

Responding to this, Zikalala said this needs to be addressed. “If we get that report, we will be able to engage with councils through speakers and then be able to take disciplinary actions against those councillors.”

The Minister also called on contractors to refuse to pay bribes while also adding that whistleblowers must be protected.

The District Development Model said the Minister, could be used as an anchor to working together with industry.

The model is a practical mechanism to enable the three spheres of government to work together, with communities and stakeholders, to plan, budget and implement in unison.

Mathews also spoke of the cost implications incurred as a result of disruptions in having to secure project sites and more importantly, protecting the lives of those working on site.

”Such disruptions have many facets from community groups wanting a piece of the pie so to speak, with real and legitimate concerns, to the extreme threats of the so-called construction mafia-type organisations wanting 30% of profits.”

Kile Mteto, of the South African Women in Plumbing and Trades, said site disruptions not only increase the cost of doing business, but their impact is felt “mostly by the SMMEs, especially women-owned entities as they are at the bottom of the food chain in accessing opportunities of the sector.”

Taking action

Despite the various challenges, Massey said it is encouraging to see that there is interest to tackle this issue.

“… I completely agree with Minister Zikalala that we have to act with one voice in terms of addressing this issue.

“I think that up until now, that hasn’t happened. There’s been a lack of unity amongst all role players in how this is addressed and it seems that more recently, there’s been a real desire to work together to get to the bottom of this problem.”

Massey said proactivity is needed in order to “properly remove the scourge that we are faced with.”

The Minister said a thorough discussion on how to grow infrastructure is necessary.

“I believe we do need to look at whether we need a construction sector master plan.”

Removing all the spanners in the works, definitely requires a societal response.

Eskom has announced that it will be taking over the implementation of load shedding in the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) following what the power utility called the city’s failure to reduce load on its customers.

The city had been handling the load shedding of some customers after the power utility handed over some substations for management.

The power utility said it has been monitoring the city’s load reduction.

“The CoE failed to comply by not adhering to the NRS 048-9:2019 code of practice which requires electricity distributor licence holders to reduce load during a declaration of a system emergency.

“The decision to take over load shedding in Ekurhuleni follows monitoring and analysis conducted by Eskom which indicate that CoE is not reducing the load as per NRS 048-9:2019,” Eskom said.

The electricity provider said it has, in the past, engaged with Ekurhuleni “regarding its failure to load shed its customers”.

“The power utility has taken over this role of load shedding the CoE’s customers following its contravention of the requirements of the standard in the past. At the time, the CoE was only permitted to load shed all the substations that feed critical loads. Subsequently, upon the CoE’s request, Eskom handed over the implementation of load shedding of all the CoE customers to the municipality,” Eskom said.

The power utility emphasised that it has no alternative in the matter as a failure to load shed puts increased burden on the grid.

“Although Eskom notes the CoE’s technical challenges in executing load shedding, it is left with no choice but to implement load shedding for the CoE as the non-compliance puts further strain on the already constrained national grid. Failure to implement load shedding by municipalities affects the integrity and stability of the grid which may lead to higher stages of load shedding.

“Residential and industrial customers from the City of Ekurhuleni are urged to contact the municipality directly for the city’s load shedding schedule or to visit their website…as Eskom uses the city’s schedule.

“Eskom appeals to members of the public to to assist in reducing demand by switching off non-essential appliances such as geysers and pool pumps as this lowers demand and helps in alleviating the pressure on the power system and contributes to lower stages of load shedding,” the power utility said.

Meanwhile, the City of Ekurhuleni says it will be engaging the power utility on the matter.

“The city will be engaging Eskom not to shed some of our critical substations in areas with a high concentration of large industries, because this will not only impact the economy of the region but also threatens jobs.

“The city will be proposing load curtailment during negotiation with Eskom. Load curtailment is the load reduction obtained from customers who can reduce demand on instruction. This also means that in the event of an emergency declaration, industrial customers must be able to reduce their load by a certain percentage,” the CoE said.