Note to Editors: Please note Martin Meyer MPL sound bite in English
• KZN’s DPWI has gone from being broken to a beacon of light in clean governance, consequence management and innovation
• KZN’s DPWI does not accept brown envelopes, so people should not leave them in our tender boxes. We will not waiver in fear, so they should not leave their bullets on our doorsteps
• KZN’s future is peaceful, prosperous and bright. That future lies in this GPU, with the views and abilities the DA brings, to build KZN better.
Today we have seen and heard that there truly are two different groups in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Legislature – the builders on one side, and the breakers on the other, those who understand 50+1 on one side, and those who do not on the other. While opposition parties raised concerns about the number of officials dismissed from KZN’s Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), the reality is that they have removed more Chief Whips during the same time period!
With a history of maladministration behind us, and a global geopolitical and economical world in flux, last weeks’ State of the Province Address (SOPA) was delivered during in a time of uncertainty. But Premier Thami Ntuli has shown that we are starting to turn this ship in the right direction, and that the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU) – with its differing views and ideologies – is using this as a strength and is ready to weather the storms ahead.
While the DA shares the Premier’s concerns regarding crime and Gender-Based Violence (GBV), we would like to have heard him call for more devolution of powers when it comes to policing in the provinces. Centralised policing from Pretoria is failing our people, and it is time to bring decision-making and resource allocation to where it belongs – the provinces.
And while there are many advantages to a high-speed passenger rail link with Gauteng, the DA urges the Premier to, for now, focus on more urgent issues. This includes collaborating with Transnet and national government to restore and improve KZN’s freight rail capacity and reliability, so that we can get freight onto trains, trucks off our roads and thereby reduce wear and tear on our roads and vastly increase road safety.
As part of KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), the DA is proud of the two ministries we head up. Eight months ago, MEC Francois Rodgers stepped up behind the wheel of a financial bus, speeding down a steep hill with no brakes, no steering and barely a hooter to warn of impending danger. Today, under his guidance – and by following DA policy on fiscal discipline – that bus is beginning to get under control. MEC Rodgers has slammed the brakes on unhinged spending, sounded the warning on what would happen if KZN continued on that fiscal path, and is now starting to steer us to stability.
The DA is grateful for the Premiers’ mention of KZN’s Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI). From a department that KZN’s people had all but lost hope in, DPWI is becoming a beacon of light in clean governance, consequence management and innovation. It is no longer government’s forgotten stepchild, instead it is leading the march to building KZN better.
The Premier touched on a few of the department’s achievements, including the highly successful Build KZN Better Conference – a game changer that has led to the DPWI putting more than 100 properties on the market while also working to ensure that all communities will benefit from this.
The DWPWI has also gone from a department mostly in the news for corruption and wastage, to a department constantly in the news as an example of how political will, a laser-like focus on consequence management and a dedication to clean governance will help win the war against structural corruption plaguing government.
This is also why the DPWI will soon be formally announcing the opening of an Ethics Desk, within the HOD’s office, which will focus on creating a culture of ethical and moral service amongst KZN’s public servants. This is due to the DA’s history and commitment to building an ethical and capable state.
This same DA boldness has led to the fight against criminality within the construction industry. KZN’s DPWI does not accept brown envelopes, so people should not leave them in our tender boxes. This department does not waiver in fear, so they should not leave their bullets on our doorsteps. This department and it’s MEC are focused on one thing only – building KZN better.
The DPWI will fully unpack its ambitious plans for the next year in the upcoming budget speech, but as MEC, I would be failing in my duty if I did not briefly touch on a few items:
• The department is currently in talks with many NPO’s, traditional leaders and private companies, and soon our new approach of joining hands in partnership will see KZN’s unused and under-utilised buildings being used to benefit surrounding communities;
• The DPWI is also going to tackle head on the challenges faced by contractors who do business with us – and sub-contractors who do business with them – by launching district based imbizos where we will listen and find solutions together with all stakeholders;
• The department is also refocusing on its core mandates, which include effective and cost-effective maintenance of government buildings and will soon launch a Comprehensive Artisan Recovery plan. This will improve the DPWI’s ability to do basic maintenance in-house while also creating jobs, bringing down costs, and increasing the speed at which we fix problems and;
• Within a year, the DPWI will go from an almost fully paper-based department to a digital department that is efficient, fast, cost effective and – through the use of technology – clean and honest as our digitisation programme kicks off.
The Premier has made it clear in his SOPA that KZN’s future is peaceful, prosperous and bright. That future lies in this GPU, with the views and abilities the DA brings, to build KZN better.