Infrastructure investment, together with the use of public land and buildings, is a critical lever to achieve spatial and economic justice by connecting South Africa’s citizens, integrating its communities and bringing people closer to work opportunities, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia De Lille said on June 23.

It is for this reason that the Infrastructure and Investment Office in the Presidency, together with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), embarked on an extensive consultation process and developed a new methodology of planning and project preparation, she elaborated, noting that it was also borne out of the consultation process at the preparation meeting in February for the inaugural Sustainable Development and Infrastructure Symposium South Africa.

Known as the Sustainable Infrastructure Development System (SIDS) methodology, it ensures that infrastructure development “is not merely undertaken in a transactional manner”, which is where De Lille believes South Africa has “fallen short” for many years.

The SIDS methodology relates to the identification, consideration, evaluation, approval and implementation of workable infrastructure in order to ensure bankability.

According to De Lille, “such evaluation is necessary to ensure that projects are functional from a financial, inter-sectoral and needs perspective”.

In unpacking the new methodology, the Minister explained that it specifically focuses on how the projects and programmes address spatial inclusivity and transformation, which are then assessed in terms of how they will advance the national development goals, in particular those contained in the National Development Plan and the seven national key priorities of the sixth administration under President Cyril Ramaphosa’s leadership.

The SIDS methodology also places an emphasis on skills development, training and education, especially for historically disadvantaged persons and communities, women, youth and persons with disabilities.

“We are tired of hearing about lack of capacity,” De Lille lamented, emphasising that “this is not true” and that the myth that South Africa does not have the capacity must be “debunked”.

In this regard, DPWI is also compiling a database of the skills and capacity that South Africa has.

Through this database, young, unemployed and retired professionals will be placed together on a mentorship basis in efforts to improve skills and knowledge transfer, according to Public Works and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Noxolo Kiviet during a virtual panel discussion on June 23.

During this discussion, National Planning Commission commissioner Dr Miriam Altman also said that building State infrastructure capacity “should be government’s top priority”.

However, she suggested that, on some levels, municipality employees be granted up to three years to re-align themselves to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ “Back to Basics” approach and programme.

Launched in 2015, the programme provides guidelines to municipalities to place people and their concerns first and to ensure constant contact with their respective communities through effective public participation platforms.

The programme also provides guidelines to create conditions for decent living by consistently delivering municipal services to the right quality and standard, and includes planning for and the delivery of infrastructure and amenities, maintenance and upkeep, including the budgeting to do this and ensure that there are no failures, or restore with urgency should any arise.

Municipalities are also guided in how to be well governed, demonstrate good governance and administration through reducing wastage, spending public funds prudently, hiring competent staff, ensuring transparency and accountability.

The ‘Back to Basics’ programme ensures sound financial management and accounting, and advises on how to prudently manage resources so as to sustainably deliver services and bring development to communities, while simultaneously building and maintaining sound institutional and administrative capabilities administered and managed by dedicated and skilled personnel at all levels.

However, once re-alignment to this programme is complete, Altman emphasised that leadership, strong will and a commitment to delivery will be key to some roles, particularly those focused on the advancement of the country.

The SIDS methodology also ensures that projects are evaluated within their sectors and are assessed in accordance with the regional and district delivery model, taking into account the needs and the socioeconomic environment or inter-sectoral viability.

The last step in the methodology is to determine the infrastructure value chain of the project, what are the costs and benefits and financial aspects, including the financial viability.

The comprehensive SIDS methodology has been applied to an initial list of 177 infrastructure projects, with 55 compliant with the methodology.

The projects were divided into six sectors, namely water and sanitation, energy, transport, digital infrastructure, agriculture and agroprocessing, and the Human Settlements sectors.

With South Africa, like many other countries worldwide, facing a recession of “enormous proportions”, along with the Covid-19 pandemic having placed South Africa “in an even worse position” where the construction sector has been hit the hardest, De Lille emphasized that “there is an even greater need to partner in the investment and implementation of infrastructure that will facilitate social and economic growth in a workable and purposeful way”.