Minister Patricia of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille to visit completed Saldanha Harbour Upgrade Project

Tomorrow, Tuesday 7 June 2022, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille will visit the recently completed Saldanha Habour upgrade project.

The upgrades to the Saldanha Harbour forms part of a major refurbishment programme to the 13 Proclaimed Fishing Harbours in the Western Cape, completed by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) in March this year to the value of R501million.

The Small Harbours Repairs and Maintenance Programme is aimed at bringing the harbours to a greater level of efficiency to revitalize the local economy and to serve the local fishermen, tenants and surrounding communities.

The Small Harbours Repair and Maintenance programme has been completed at all 13 Proclaimed Fishing Harbours where the following priority scope of work was completed at the respective harbours; removal of sunken vessels, dredging of the harbour basins, repairs to slipways, shore crane replacements, security, civil and electrical infrastructure upgrades.

To date the project has created a total of 925 jobs and empowered local SMMEs to the value of over R116 million. The bulk of the SMMEs are Level 1/2 BBBEE companies and were vastly spread, ranging from Lamberts Bay in the upper West Coast all the way to the East Coast at Stillbaai Harbour covering all 13 harbours.

The project aims to boost investor confidence within the harbours and many existing tenants are looking to expand their operations coupled with a high appetite from new investors within the harbours which will assist the DPWI in its drive towards attracting private sector investment and revenue generation for the state. Ultimately the economic spin-offs of the repair and maintenance programme will allow for further job creation and local economic development surrounding the 13 PFHs along the Western Cape coastline.

The works completed at Saldanha and Pepper Bay Harbours included work on the slipway infrastructure at Saldanha harbour, civil infrastructure as well as electrical infrastructure work both at Saldanha and Pepper Bay harbours.

Around R98.6 million has been spent for the infrastructure upgrades work at the Saldanha Bay and Pepper Bay harbours.

The Saldanha Bay harbour main contractors appointed SMMEs from the local community. The value of work contracted to SMMEs amounted to approximately R27 million. A total of 145 local residents also benefitted from work opportunities for the project at Saldanha Bay.

This project is a prime example of the importance of infrastructure development to spur on economic activity and much needed job creation for our citizens.

Minister de Lille and deputy Minister, Noxolo Kiviet will visit the recently completed upgrade project and highlight the various works that have been done.

Source: Government of South Africa