KZN Public Works Department launches cost-saving engineering support for municipalities
In a move to reduce the reliance of municipalities on consultants in the construction of public infrastructure, the KwaZulu-Natal Public Works and Infrastructure Department has signed an agreement with the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department to use its engineers and architects in infrastructure projects.
The move, which has been described as historic, was announced in a joint media briefing by MECs Martin Meyer and Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi on Tuesday.
Making the announcement, Meyer said he has seen that municipalities are struggling to provide infrastructure for various reasons, one of which is a lack of capacity. Smaller towns struggle to attract the professionals needed, meaning that municipalities have to bring in consultants at great cost.
“At Public Works, we have the experts, the architects, the engineers, the professionals needed to fast-track infrastructure delivery. I am, therefore, pleased to make a ground-breaking announcement here today that, going forward, KZN Public Works and Infrastructure will extend the use of its professionals beyond the provincial infrastructure scope to include municipalities.
“What this means is the department will offer its qualified professionals to municipalities in the province whenever there is a need during projects so that those municipalities no longer have to go out to privately source consultants at an exorbitant cost,” said Meyer.
He further stated that the effect of this is that municipalities will be guaranteed quality workmanship and an added benefit of cost-cutting of taxpayers’ money, since they will make use of these professional services, at almost no cost to them.
Buthelezi hailed the decision, saying it would save a lot of taxpayers’ money as municipalities had to make use of consultants, which deplete their Municipal Infrastructure Grant budgets.
He said the municipalities in the province receive an annual infrastructure grant of R3.6 billion; however, R600 million is consistently allocated to consultants.
KwaZulu-Natal is a largely rural province with one metro.
There are 10 district municipalities and 43 local municipalities; the largest number of these are classified as rural, as only three of 43 are classified as secondary cities.
willem.phungula@inl.co.za