R7.6bn public works budget focus on five key priorities
Top of the list is intensifying the fight against corruption.
The country's infrastructure has deteriorated from years of underfunding, and to accelerate delivery and reform, the Expanded Public Works Programme will play a crucial role.
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eNCA
12 hours ago
- eNCA
R7.6bn public works budget focus on five key priorities
MBOMBELA - The Public Works and Infrastructure department intends to spend its R7.6 billion budget on five key priorities. Top of the list is intensifying the fight against corruption. The country's infrastructure has deteriorated from years of underfunding, and to accelerate delivery and reform, the Expanded Public Works Programme will play a crucial role.
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Dean Macpherson's bold measures to combat corruption in public works
Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson briefs the media about his first year in the office as he cracks down on corruption. Image: Ayanda Ndamane / Independent Media The Minister of Public Works, Dean Macpherson, has taken a hard-line stance on corruption as he cracks the whip on fraudulent conduct amid reports that the department is losing millions to alleged ghost employees. As result, on Wednesday, the minister confirmed that his department has ordered lifestyle audits on 400 high-risk officials in key departments as part of the clean-up campaign within the department. "Over the past year, we have taken action to confront corruption and maladministration within the Department. We have launched lifestyle audits on over 400 high-risk officials, and we are finalising investigations into ghost employees who were irregularly paid by the Department. Where wrongdoing is confirmed, action will be taken swiftly," he said. Macpherson, who briefed the media on Wednesday on his first year as minister, has indicated that his ministry and department are undergoing a clean-up campaign, which has already conducted and completed lifestyle audits on 48 senior managers. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The minister indicated that the verification process undertaken also includes conducting a physical verification of employees to ensure that every person on the payroll exists. "Our anti-corruption unit is currently auditing the Persal system across the department and EPWP to detect any fictitious employees drawing salaries without working," he added. Macpherson said these audits were being conducted independently, in partnership with the Special Investigating Unit, and included asset verification. His clean-up campaign has not left non-performing contractors who defraud the department out, with the minister revealing that his office will lead the department's internal reform agenda to ensure governance lapses are identified early, while procurement is monitored rigorously, and fraud is reported and acted on.
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Opposition parties slam public works budget amid claims of dysfunction
The budget of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure came under criticism from opposition parties after Minister Dean Macpherson made a presentation to the National Assembly. Image: . Photographer: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers Opposition parties pulled no punches when they criticised the 2025/26 budget of the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure in the National Assembly on Thursday. So brutal were the EFF, the MK Party, the EFF, Rise Mzansi and Build One South Africa that the presiding officer called to order Minister Dean Macpherson at some point during the debate for him to refrain from making signs and signaling to an MP. The MK Party's Nkosinathi Nxumalo said the department's budget was not pro-poor but protected the politically connected. 'It shields the failing institutions such as the IDT (Independent Development Trust) and CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board) to mention a few, Nxumalo said. Video Player is loading. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading He said the department's digitisation programme remained empty promises and asked where its' immovable asset register was. Nxumalo accused the department of parading Expanded Public Works Programme as job creation success. 'The Prestige Management Trade Entity received R71m to maintain VIP residences and elite comfort. A lot of money makes sure the Government of National Unity is well taken care of. This is spitting in the face of the poor,' he added. The EFF's Sharon Letlape said the department was wired with dysfunction, underspending and policy stagnation. 'Each year the department is rehashing previous commitments with no one ever taking accountability for implementation. Digitisation of the asset register and a clean audit are permanent features of the department's annual plan, yet nothing ever gets done,' she said. ActionSA MP Malebo Patricia Kobe said Macpherson had shared his vision of South Africa being a construction site but a year later, economic growth remained below 1% and youth unemployment remained at its highest. 'The department fails to maintain infrastructure and allows assets to deteriorate and erode economic value instead of leveraging assets for financial sustenance. The Property Management Trading Entity relies on growing overdraft while struggling to collect user-charges owed by client departments,' Kobe said. Rise Mzansi MP Makashule Gana said the department was failing in its mandate. 'Infrastructure is collapsing, regulatory bodies don't speak to one another on vital projects and almost all projects this department embarks on are delayed and have cost overruns,' Gana said. He said when the department fails to deliver, no one marches to its offices. 'They don't know you are the cause of failure. The reason there is no service delivery is because of you,' Gana said. BOSA deputy leader Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster accused the department of splashing an estimated R5 billion on renting private offices. 'With over R150 billion in properties under control Department of Public works, we expect better and, in fact, we demand better. Until the department stops withholding land, wasting public money on rental instead of fixing state assets and return unspent funds while infrastructure crumbles, it will remain part of the problem. As my colleague said, you are the problem,' Hlazo-Webster said. In response, Macpherson thanked all those who spoke in support of the budget. He said the MK Party and EFF claimed there was no plan to fix and stabilise the IDT yet they fought him at every single turn when he wanted to fix the entity. Macpherosn dismissed their complaints about payment and lack of training in the EPWP, saying they were seeking to reform the programme. 'They can't have a cake and eat it... there is one thing I would agree with them. Maybe, it is time to look at the cost around prestige and there is a good place we can start and it is called Nkandla which cost millions of rands to maintain.' He accused the EFF of breaking its promises that led to it losing voter support last year in the elections. Turning to ActionSA, Macpherson said the party was distracting the public from its terminal decline and accused Kobe of previously reposting fake news about the IDT. He also said it was hard to find a voter who voted for Rise Mzansi, and that both Rise Mzansi and BOSA did not know what the mandate of his department was, saying it is not responsible for erecting parliamentary buildings.
