President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced pipelined projects that will cut across several sectors like energy and social services worth over R100 billion.
Delivering the State of the Nation Address at the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday evening, the President said the construction for some of the projects will resume this year.
“The infrastructure fund is at the centre of this effort with a R100 billion allocation from the fiscus.
“The Infrastructure Fund is now working with State entities to prepare pipelined projects with an investment value of approximately R96 billion in student accommodation, student housing, telecommunications, water and sanitation and transport,” he said.
The President said infrastructure is central to the country’s economic reconstruction and recovery plan.
Through innovative funding and improved technical capabilities, government has prioritised infrastructure projects to support economic growth and better livelihoods, especially in energy, roads and water management, the President said.
“Several catalytic projects to the value of R21 billion are expected to start construction this year.
“Of this, R2.6 billion is contributed by government and the balance is financed by the private sector and development finance institutions.
“Government will make an initial investment of R1.8 billion in bulk infrastructure, which will unlock private sector projects to the value of R133 billion.”
He said for millions of South Africans in rural areas, roads and bridges provide access to markets, to employment opportunities, to families and social services.
“Yet many children still have to brave overflowing rivers to reach schools and motorists have to battle impassable roads to reach the next town.
“One person was telling me that they now have to travel to drive on the side of the road because many roads are so bad.
“We are therefore upscaling the WeliSizwe Rural Bridges Programme to deliver 95 bridges a year from the current 14.
“Our South African National Defence Force is the implementing agent of the Welisizwe programme and has demonstrated the expertise of the SANDF engineers in bridge construction.”
Source: South African Government News Agency