The Chairperson of the Select Committee on Public Infrastructure and Minister in the Presidency, Mr Rikus Badenhorst, today congratulated the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Mr Dean Macpherson, and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) for the decisive steps taken to hold non-performing contractors accountable.
Mr Badenhorst described the announcement that the CIDB has blacklisted 40 contractors since June 2024 as “nothing short of historic”.
“In the 22 years prior, only a single contractor had been blacklisted. The failure to act against non-performing contractors created an environment in which incomplete, poorly built, and abandoned projects became commonplace. This eroded public trust in government’s ability to deliver. Under the Minister’s leadership, and with the CIDB acting decisively, that chapter is now closed,” said the Chairperson.
Mr Badenhorst stressed that this turnaround is more than a statistic. It is a signal that the department, together with its entities, is serious about restoring professionalism, cleaning up procurement and ensuring that public funds deliver tangible infrastructure for South Africans. The CIDB’s action directly supports the Minister’s vision of a department that is a highly effective delivery unit, capable of supporting economic growth and job creation.
The Chairperson said that the committee also welcomes the additional reforms announced by the Minister, including refining blacklisting processes, recovering funds from delinquent contractors, filling key vacancies, and tightening accountability mechanisms. “These reforms, reinforced by the CIDB’s enforcement powers, represent the kind of systemic change that Parliament has long called for,” he said.
According to the Chairperson, there is now a clear message to communities across South Africa that the days of impunity are over. The combination of ministerial leadership and the CIDB’s decisive action is ensuring that contractors who betray the public trust will no longer be allowed to do business with government.
Mr Badenhorst said the committee will continue to exercise its oversight role to ensure that these reforms are sustained, that the CIDB is supported in its regulatory mandate and that South Africans see the results in the form of quality infrastructure that is delivered on time and within budget.
“The committee congratulates the Minister and the CIDB on this important milestone. It represents a fresh start for the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure and a renewed commitment to accountability, delivery, and economic growth.”
Africa Fact: A sixteenth century traveller visited the central African civilisation of Kanem-Borno and commented that the emperor’s
cavalry had golden “stirrups, spurs, bits and buckles.” Even the ruler’s dogs had “chains of the finest gold”.
solitaire
Oscar Pistorius. Not the first South African with a race problem.
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