Macpherson: Disruptions to construction sites impact our communities directly

CAPE TOWN - Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson said that delayed and incomplete projects were like crime scenes.

He said that the delays in the government's infrastructure projects also halted economic growth and deferred services for millions of South Africans.

Macpherson made a statement in the National Assembly on Thursday about the delays in the completion of infrastructure projects and how these impact South Africans.

The minister said that since he became a minister in July, he'd made it his mission to address delays head-on.

He said the delayed infrastructure projects across the country were more than just numbers and they impacted communities directly.

"These are also crime scenes where individuals have been paid for work they have not completed. They are crimes scenes that have robbed people of hope and a better life. The disruption to construction sites impacts our communities directly."

Macpherson said the delays had also come at a heavy cost.

"Beyond this, these delays have hampered the growth and development of our nation's infrastructure currently costing us close to R3 billion in delayed construction projects over a number of financial years," said Macpherson.

He said that in the current financial year alone, his department had what he labelled an "alarming" delay rate of 79% of projects across the portfolio.