Theme: Developing Infrastructure for inclusive economic development, transformation and Job Creation
09 July 2025
As the African National Congress (ANC) under the Government of National Unity (GNU) we see the department of Public Works and Infrastructure as fundamental tool for South Africa’s (SA) growth because this is where we facilitate economic activity and provide necessary services to our people. Policy direction which encourages government, is of imperative importance as it takes the lead and provides guidance in the execution of the increased national public works programs. This becomes essential for social and economic advancement which include building and maintaining essential infrastructure such as energy, telecommunications, water and sanitation and roadways. This infrastructure raises economic activity, while supporting necessary services and improving the standard of living for our people.
It must be mentioned and affirmed that the ANC supports this budget. We support this budget as the ANC because amongst other things it is anticipated that spending will rise from R7.6 billion in 2024 to 2025 to R8.3 billion in 2027 to 2028 at an average yearly rate of 3%. Approximately R19.7 billion of the department’s overall budget for the upcoming three years will go towards transfers and subsidies for the operations of its entities, non-profit organizations paying wages to those working under the Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP) and conditional grants to provinces and municipalities for program implementation. Employee remuneration will be at an amount of R2.1 billion and goods and services will amount to an amount of R2.1 billion and will account for an estimated R4.2 billion of expenditures over the next term.
Emuva kocwaningo loMnyango WezeZimali lonyaka ka-20204-kuya ku2025, kanye nohlelo kwezenhlalakahle oluqhutshwa uMnyangIo WezeMisebenzi kaHulumeni olubhekelela izibonelelo zezifundazwe luhlanganisiwe njengesibonelo esisodwa ngaphansi kohlelo olulodwa olubizwa ngokuthi isibonelelo ezengaziwe semisebenzi kahulumeni ehlelelwe izifundazwe. Lokhu kwenziwe ngenhloso yokukwenziwa ngcono imikhiqizo, ukushesha kokunikezelwa kosizo futhi kuncishiswe izihibe ekunikezelweni kosizo lwezibonelela oluhlelelwe izifundazwe. Lesi sibonelelo esisha esihlanganisiwe kulindeleke ukuthi sibhekelelwe ngesamba sika R2 bhiliyoni eminyakeni emithathu ezayo. Ukuqiniswa kwamatomu ezinhlelo zokukhulisa kwamakhono kudinga ukuba zihlomiswe umbuso ngamandla ukuze lelizwe lidlondlobale. Leli gxathu liyingxenye ebaluleke kakhulu ekudlondlobaliseni nasekuthuthukisweni kwaleli zwe.
A competent state can more accurately identify skills gaps, design training programs and guarantee a steady supply of pertinent talents to meet economic demands and advance growth if it has strong institutions and knowledgeable workers. This can then result in inclusive economic growth, less unemployment and poverty reduction. Through a skills pipeline strategy, the department intends to boost the productive capacity of built environment graduates over the next three years in order to enhance infrastructure delivery in the public works sector. Lokhu kuzoba wusizo ekwethulweni kohlelo oludidiyelwe futhi oluhlelekile lwezokuqeqesha kwabasebenzi bakahulumeni ngokushesha, ukubhaliswa, imifundaze (amabhazari), ukuvulwa kwamathuba wokuqeqeshelwa imisebenzi, izifundo zokuqeqeshelwa ukusingathwa kwezakhiwo kanjalo nokuthuthukiswa kokuqeqeshwa konjiniyela.
Lolu hlelo olwengeziwe lwemisebenzi kahulumeni, kuhlelwe ngalo ukudlondlobalisa ukwakha amathuba emisebenzi ezinhlakeni zontathu zikahulumeni, luzoqhubeka nokuholwa futhi luqhutshwe umnyango. Izibonelelo ezihlelelwe izinhlangano ezingaphansi kukahulumeni ezizoqhuba lezi zinhlelo kulindeleke ukuba zibonelelwe ngesamba sika R6 bhiliyoni kule themu yamaphakathi.
The department intends to create yearly monitoring and evaluation reports as well as impact assessments on the program’s execution in the coming years as part of its ongoing efforts to make it better. Additionally, it intends to offer technical assistance to 200 public agencies in the areas of infrastructure, society, the environment and culture. The department is intended to report on 1,022 631 job opportunities in 2025 to 2026 and up to 1,050 903 job opportunities by 2027 to 2028, as well as provide input on the efficacy of employment policies, in order to increase the employability of the workforce. Over the medium term, an estimated R7.2 billion will be allotted to the EPWP for all associated operations.
An estimated R689.1 million of this sum is set aside for personnel salary for managing the increased public works program and another R532.3 million is allocated for goods and services, specifically for data collection, verification, monitoring and assessment. As a result, the department intends to assist 3,800 recipients taking part in skills pipeline intervention programs in the medium term. R91.3 million has been set aside for this purpose for the coming year under the Intergovernmental Coordination program’s Professional Services subprogramme. On January 23, 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the South African Expropriation Bill now known as the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 into law. This new law describes the processes and circumstances under which the state may expropriate property for public use or in the public interest, replacing the pre-constitutional Expropriation Act of 1975.
The 1975 Act is still in force until the President declares the new Act to be in effect, even though the Act has been signed. The Act has generated a lot of discussion, with some arguing that it should be used to correct historical injustices while others are worried about how it would affect property rights and economic stability. To assist the department in facilitating land acquisition when we deal with public goods and infrastructure development the expropriation act becomes key. The act permits the expropriation of land, when willing-buyer, willing-seller discussions are unsuccessful in securing land for projects, this can be extremely important.
Expropriation is allowed for both public purpose and public interest, which specifically covers land reform and land access. Expropriation can be used to meet social demands like rural development and cheap housing because of this expanded meaning. We need to improve on our streamlined processes where the expropriation act provides clarity and certainty by outlining the expropriation procedure, including compensation and dispute settlement which we have seen a backlog on such matters in the past. Through this act, there is emphasis on land reform that it must be consistent with constitutional obligation to rectify previous land ownership inequalities. This can be especially important for infrastructure initiatives that help underserved communities. Correcting the historical injustice of apartheid is not negotiable for the majority of South Africans. There must be no confusion between private property, property value and expropriation in the public interest and for public purposes. This is within the rule of law both locally and internationally as all countries have expropriation legislation.
We want to invest in infrastructure development where we will be provided with mechanisms on how to get land and improve economic development through investments in essential infrastructure like roads, schools and hospitals. We believe that industrial development and job creation cannot be achieved without access to land through expropriation to improve economic growth and development of our people. The expropriation act will encourage and assist municipalities to acquire land for the purposes of important public projects which are aimed and uplifting our people who are mainly economically marginalized. We re-affirm our support for the budget because public works and infrastructure development in SA as emphasized by both the ANC and the National Development Plan (NDP) as being essential to social advancement and economic progress.
In its long-term vision for the nation, the NDP places a strong emphasis on infrastructure development as a means of generating employment, raising living standards and fostering an inclusive economy. As the ruling party under the GNU, the ANC has integrated the NDP’s vision into its own policies and initiatives, emphasizing the transformation of the built environment industry and infrastructure investment. The NDP’s infrastructure strategy is being aggressively implemented by the ANC administration through the GNU and the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure. This entails maintaining adherence to laws and regulations pertaining to infrastructure management, exercising strategic leadership in the building and real estate sectors and encouraging the creation of jobs through labour-intensive infrastructure initiatives.
I thank you