The face of the South African landscape is set for a significant upgrade, with a massive investment in infrastructure expected over the next five years.

‘From our largest metros to our deepest rural areas, we have a clear intention to turn our country into a construction site, as roads, bridges, houses, schools, hospitals and clinics are built, as broadband fibre is laid and as new power lines are installed,’ President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday.

Delivering the Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) in Cape Town, the President stressed the importance of engendering a culture of maintenance of public infrastructure, while also dedicating resources and establishing systems to ensure this.

‘In the next five years, working together, drawing on our collective capabilities [in the Government of National Unity], we will forge a new inclusive growth path for South Africa by pursuing a massive investment in infrastructure. Significant projects are underway around the country in areas such as transport, roads, wa
ter, energy and human settlements.

‘We will massively increase the scale of investment in infrastructure through a more holistic and integrated approach, positioning Infrastructure South Africa as the central institution of coordination and planning,’ the President said.

He said government is simplifying the regulations on public-private partnerships to enable greater investment in both social and economic infrastructure development.

‘As the Government of National Unity (GNU), we are resolved to intensify our investment drive, encouraging and enabling businesses to invest in productive capacity. These investments will lead to increased employment creation for unemployed South Africans especially for young people,’ President Ramaphosa said.

After South Africans took to the polls on 29 May, the General Election results produced no outright majority winner – tasking various political leaders to work together to form a Government of National Unity, much like what was required at the dawn of democracy in 1994.

Some 10 political parties are part of the GNU, with leaders from some of those political formations appointed as Ministers and Deputy Ministers.

With the work of the seventh administration set to commence, the Government of National Unity has resolved to dedicate the next five years to actions that will advance three strategic priorities that include driving inclusive growth and job creation, reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living, as well as building a capable, ethical and developmental State.

Improving passenger rail network

With so many people living far from economic opportunities and services, transport costs take up a large part of people’s income and drive up the cost of living.

‘An immediate priority is therefore to complete the recovery of the passenger rail network across the country to enable people to travel from outlying areas to city centres. Around 80% of commuter rail corridors are now back in operation, and nearly 300 vandalised stations have been refurbished, providing saf
er and more efficient services to commuters,’ Ramaphosa said.

Through the implementation of the Freight Logistics Roadmap, government will continue with reforms to transform South Africa’s freight logistics system.

‘To drive inclusive growth, we need an efficient freight rail network to carry our minerals, agricultural produce and manufactured goods to market. The work we are doing with business and unions through the National Logistics Crisis Committee has already contributed to improvements in the operational performance of freight rail and ports,’ the President said.

Source: South African Government News Agency