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SA Forum of Civil Engineering Contractors ( Safcec) CEO Webster Mfebe said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the government’s infrastructure development programme and will be very circumspect in aligning himself to criticism about the projects until these projects have been put out to tender.
However, Mfebe agreed the government could have provided more detail about these projects, particularly details about the extent to which the 50 projects are “shovel ready”.
Mfebe said these details are important because contractors need to prepare to take a decision on whether or not they are going to bid for these projects.
He stressed that contractors are the critical element in the construction value chain because they bid for and built the infrastructure but are left out of the early planning stages of a project.
Mfebe said early contractor engagement did not involve contractors who will bid for projects but engagements with contractor associations about the packaging and broad guidelines of every project so they are implemented within budget, on time and within the quality standards that are expected.
Time to talk to the contractors
He said it is a mistake not to have these discussion with contractors because it results in scope variations and therefore cost escalations, particularly when projects are poorly designed.
Mfebe suspects the marginalisation of contractors and what prevents them being welcome at the table in the conceptualisation and planning stages of projects are fueled by the narrative that the construction industry is the most corrupt.
“Corruption, if it does happen, is not unique to the construction industry. We know now with Covid-19 that politicians, officials and some companies are involved in the looting of state resources.
“The issue of corruption between the public and private sector must not be regarded as a beauty contest between who is more corrupt than the other. All of us collectively must deal with corruption wherever it arises,” he said.
Mfebe agreed that many of the projects have been in the pipeline for many years but stressed that if old projects are being regurgitated and recycled and have taken many years to get off the ground, contractors need to understand “the magic wand that will make them implementable and shovel ready now”.
Sustainable infrastructure gets its moment
He applauded the new approach to sustainable infrastructure development involving the repackaging of projects but stressed the contractor is the missing link in the efficient and effective delivery of infrastructure in South Africa.
“Until and unless they [government] realises the critical role of a contractor in what I call early contractor involvement, these things will never go away,” he said.
BMI-Building Research Strategy Consulting Unit principal consultant Llewellyn Lewis said infrastructure development created a huge opportunity to kick-start the economy but stressed the need for the government to look at infrastructure development holistically.
“To me, the big thing is that it must start with housing. If you are going to build houses, you have to have roads, water, stormwater, sewerage, electricity. So they all go together.
“It’s a cure for all the problems we have – population growth, inequality, poverty and unemployment,” he said.
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