Note to Editors: Please note Tammy Colley MPL sound bite in English
The DA welcomes the significant strides made by KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) – led by MEC Martin Meyer – which includes the elimination of a crippling R1billion backlog in unpaid contractor invoices.
The invoices were inherited in June 2024 when MEC Meyer took office under KZN’s Government of Provincial Unity (GPU). As of 12 September, the DPWI has confirmed that all captured invoices have been paid, with no outstanding sums owed to contractors.
This is a groundbreaking achievement which can largely be attributed to MEC Meyer’s aggressive steps to compel client departments, including KZN’s Education and Health departments, to meet their obligations and to clear historic debt.
It is also a major step forward in rebuilding trust with service providers, sustaining jobs and ensuring that infrastructure projects are delivered to KZN’s people, without unnecessary delays.
Timely payment to contractors is not just an administrative requirement – it forms part of Treasury regulations, and it is an essential part of supporting the construction industry, protecting livelihoods and stimulating economic growth in the province.
Delaying payment, to small and medium sized contractors in particular, creates unnecessary financial pressure, often threatening their ability to continue operating and can result in closure, adding to the unemployment crisis already facing our province.
The DA commends MEC Meyer and his team for setting a new standard of fiscal discipline and accountability. These actions highlight our ongoing commitment to transparent, accountable governance and the achievement of a capable and ethical state in KZN.