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Madame Speaker
Honourable Members

I will indeed elaborate on aspects indicated by Minister Sigcau - but please allow me first to express our sincere gratitude that Minister Stella Sigcau recovered her health last year and for her continued guidance in this portfolio.

You know, listening to and working with her often creates a mental image in my mind of watching someone in a giant's boots. I will never refer to a lady as a giant, but figuratively her strides are gigantic indeed. While covering vast areas by each step, not much skips those radar eyes in terms of detail of what is actually happening on the ground. And it does not take a huge effort to pause and check that things are put right. That is how she works: She guides the policy development, she watches the implementation, she sorts us out and keeps the process on track to ensure that delivery meets the expectations of our clients and beneficiaries.

Minister, it is my privilege to work with you - I try to do it proud.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD

To recap on developments pertaining to the construction industry, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) legislation was passed in November 2000. Members to the Board were appointed and the Board was launched in April 2001. The CIDB is now engaged in a process of capacitating itself.

Senior operational managers have been appointed and by June the CIDB will have an executive capacity of 9 full-time staff to address the mandate defined in the legislation.

CIDB Strategic Priorities for 2002/2003:

The CIDB submitted its business plan for the year 2002/2003 at the end of April. The strategic projects that are proposed for this financial year are derived from the Board's mandate to:

* Drive an integrated industry development strategy; and
* Provide strategic leadership to construction industry stakeholders to stimulate growth, reform and improvement of the construction sector for effective delivery and the industry's enhanced role in the country's economy.

The projects that are being prioritised and developed include:

* Socio-economic benefits of infrastructure investment and the impact of under-spending;
* Roll out of procurement and public sector delivery best practice to address improved spending of the infrastructure budget;
* A "Know Your Rights and Responsibilities" campaign for the emerging sector;
* Developing the registers of contractors and projects to be fully operational by the end of 2003;
* Establishing a body of knowledge and a website as a resource to the industry;
* Developing CIDB governance procedures; and
* Taking forward important work flowing from the Department's commissioned reports on the Status Quo of the Industry, Investment Review and Construction Industry Indicators.

As per the stipulation of the Act, the CIDB must constitute a construction industry stakeholder forum. The forum's main objective would be informing the CIDB on matters that affect the development of the construction industry. Stakeholders also have an important role to play in mobilising improvement on the ground. The CIDB is now in a process to constitute the forum with a call for nominations having been published earlier this year. The forum's first meeting is scheduled for 21 June 2002.

So far, nominations from the public sector have been very few. It must be stressed that the process towards developing the construction industry is the responsibility of both the public and private sectors. As a key stakeholder, the public sector has a very important role to play in informing the Board on significant issues that impact on delivery and the industry.

Together with departmental officials, the CIDB visited Singapore in April to develop in-depth understanding of the relationship between government and the Building Control Authority, the equivalent of the CIDB in Singapore. Recent policy shifts were explored, including the merging of industry development with the functions of building regulations and control, legislation to drive best practice and improvements to the contractor registration system. As an outcome of the visit, Singapore will facilitate a capacity building programme for our newly established CIDB.

COUNCIL FOR THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Members of the Council for the Built Environment were appointed in February 2002.

The Department will assist and support the CBE during the coming year in mobilising adequate resources to establish its operations in order to carry out its functions. It is envisaged that the business plan will be finalised by June 2002.

The CBE will ensure proper co-ordination between Government and the built environment professions and proper application of policies by the respective councils. The CBE will also promote a range of new priorities and act as an appeal body for affected professionals and members of the public.

Built Environment Professions:

* Six Professional Councils were appointed in July 2001.

The new Council for Project and Construction Management was launched and the inaugural meeting held in September 2001.

The Department commissioned the writing of a book entitled "Blueprints in Black and White - The Built Environment Professions in South Africa - An Outline History" by John Bizzell. This book traces the evolution of the professions and how they have responded to various world events and Government policies. The fundamental theme emerging from the book is the challenge of the professions to take a proactive stance in their development and shaping of the built environment. The book was launched in conjunction with the launch of the Council for the Built Environment in April 2002 and has been made available to all the professions.

The Department will continue to ensure that the built environment professions meet their statutory obligations with regards to legislative requirements during the coming year.

CORRUPTION COMBAT

The Department's Fraud Prevention Strategy has been in effect for more than a year. The Office of the Auditor-General, in particular, indicated that the Department's strategy can serve as a benchmark for the rest of the Public Service.

The Department has since shared its expertise with several other national as well as provincial departments in developing their own Fraud Prevention Plans. The Department's Fraud Prevention Strategy was also presented as a case study at a national Anti-Corruption Conference hosted by the DPSA.

The unit is still maintaining a 100% success rate in the disciplinary hearings initiated by them as a result of their investigative work. Several of the cases investigated also resulted in criminal prosecution. The following statistics provide an indication of the results obtained:

* Disciplinary actions were instituted against 16 officials of which 9 were dismissed for misconduct.

* Criminal proceedings were instituted against 7 officials and 6 contractors.

* The Department, assisted by the Scorpions and the Asset Forfeiture Unit has succeeded with a High Court order to freeze the assets of two charged for fraud to the value of R37.2 million, proving the success of an integrated approach.

PRESTIGE ACCOMMODATION

As announced last year, the Department is contracting out facilities management on prestige accommodation, concentrating on the Parliamentary and prestige complexes in Pretoria and Cape Town.

It is anticipated that the successful Service Provider would be appointed by October 2002.

We are also introducing a Call Centre to facilitate immediate service to our clients.

HIV/AIDS INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAMME

As a special contribution, Public Works has allocated R10 million to support the HIV/AIDS Infrastructure Programme by creating facilities in the rural areas of the Free State, North West, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. These structures support service delivery by the Departments of Health and Social Development as well as District Municipalities.

Projects include:

* In the Free State an access road to the Thabang Clinic;

* In the North West Province, renovation and upgrading of two voluntary counselling and testing centres at Morokweng Tlakgameng as well as building such a centre at the Huhudi Clinic. A further three houses in the Bojanala district will be upgraded for HIV/AIDS counselling;

* In Mpumalanga, the construction of HIV/AIDS facilities in Tonga, Matibidi and Elukwatini;

* In KwaZulu-Natal, six 'drop-in' centres at Ubombo, Hlabisa, Nongoma, Nquthu, Msinga and Mandini to accommodate counselling and testing on HIV/AIDS. Two irrigation schemes at Umphise and Mangangeni as well as two gravel roads of 5km each at KwaChili in King Shaka Municipality and at Mashunka in Msinga Local Municipality to provide access to the HIV/AIDS flagship centres; and

* In the Limpopo Province, upgrading at the Makotopong clinic and the construction of a 24-hour HIV/AIDS information centre at Messina.

CHOLERA

In KwaZulu-Natal, we have suffered greatly. The death toll ascribed to cholera has already exceeded 300. Public Works, as part of its Community-Based Public Works Programme, has allocated R3 million in infrastructure support to the cholera prevention programme by providing sanitation facilities (1 265) and spring protection (30). To date 294 toilets and two springs have been completed.

CONCLUSION

We are delivering, we are improving, and most of all, we are lending a hand and creating opportunities for communities to work together in ensuring a better life for all.

Public Works is geared for a future of integrated growth and development, serving our people.

Issued by Ministry of Public Works, 9 May 2002