Honourable House Chairperson, the ACDP welcomes the Minister’s announcement of the South African Construction Action Plan (SACAP), and we recognise the urgency of recovering delayed projects and restoring accountability.
We commend the six key actions outlined, which include: blacklisting defaulting contractors, ring-fencing budgets, digital tracking, procurement war rooms, realtime audit collaboration, professionalisation of practitioners, and the dismantling of the ‘construction mafia’. These measures, if implemented fully, can help bring hope back to our communities through completed schools, hospitals, and constitutional projects.
The ACDP notes that the Minister himself acknowledged public frustration with incomplete projects and the lack of accountability that continues to plague the sector despite many inspiring but failed plans. We note that the public sector capital expenditure has risen from some R234-billion in 2023 to R276-billion in 2024. This positive momentum in infrastructure spend must be maintained.
The ACDP asserts that businesses or contractors who bid for tenders must be properly vetted and the bona fides of the successful contractor must be interrogated in terms of their capacity, track record, and integrity to deliver. This vigilance is not about obstruction but about partnership in ensuring that public money is spent wisely and that communities receive the infrastructure they deserve.
Moreover, businesses participating in SACAP must do so ethically. This means embracing transparent procurement processes, submitting realistic bids, and committing to professional standards. It means engaging constructively with ‘war rooms’ and audit mechanisms, rather than treating them as obstacles. By doing so, the sector can help ensure that this action plan is not only a departmental declaration but a genuine partnership for delivery.
Honourable House Chairperson, as Kingdom builders, the ACDP will support this action plan, including measures which restore pride and self-respect to our communities through completed schools, clinics, hospitals, courts, and other projects. But we will also hold the minister, this department as well as the business sector accountable to ensure that this action plan builds concretely, and does not just build speeches for applause.
I thank you.
