Premier Mabuza’s Rapid Implementation Unit delivers on public infrastructure

28 July 2013

Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza has expressed excitement on the newly established rapid implementation unit [RIU] stationed in his office for constantly monitoring departments tasked with delivering the public infrastructure, that it was making great progress.

Since its formation from the beginning of April this year, the RIU has managed to ensure that the human settlements and public works roads and transport departments respectively deliver houses and the public infrastructure such as schools, clinics and roads amongst others.

During the State of the Province Address this year, Premier Mabuza announced that the RIU would ensure the delivery of 10 000 RDP outstanding from the previous financial year in 100 days.

As anticipated, there has been a great achievement in meeting the three-month target in building RDP houses and delivering the public infrastructure, and the Premier has subsequently undertaken visits throughout the province to claim victory by the government and the ruling party.

His mission started about two weeks ago, when he handed over 100 completed RDP houses in Emalahleni Municipality.  As part of his hand-over ceremony around Clarinet and Empumelelweni Township, he also gave four families fully furnished houses with food parcels and blankets in line with celebrating the International Mandela Day.

He targeted a child-headed family, two families headed by an elderly and a widow respectively, and lastly a family whose head lives with disability.

While visiting the projects, Premier Mabuza was astonished to see a contractor having built a school in Clarinet six months before the targeted completion date. It was a realisation that it is possible to speedily deliver services to the people. He consequently committed on the spot to officially opened the school at the end of August.

Again last week on Thursday [25 July 2013] Mabuza handed over another 88 completed RDP houses in Kwaggafontein in the Thembisile Hani Municipality and again applauded the RIU for success. The houses had also been built within 100 days.

“I am quite impressed about the work done here. When I visited this area [Kwaggafontein] in January this year, I nearly ‘killed a person’ because these projects are not for me as an individual, but are meant for our people who need them the most.

“Our people have waited for too long, therefore we must be quick in delivering the services as a provincial government and contractors. It cannot be us who delay development in their areas. We must do everything in our power to attend to their needs,” said Mabuza.

It was only in Tweefontein where the Premier was dissatisfied with progress in terms building the RDP houses. Not even a single house was handed over due to delays by a local service provider contracted to build 140 houses.

The contractor told the Premier that he would deliver all the houses by the end of August and volunteered that his contract be terminated should he not meet the deadline.

“I am tired of talking; we will terminate contracts of people who do not do their work.  We are concerned about the slow pace of the contractor; the rainy season is nearing and people need shelter as in yesterday.

“I am a very straightforward person, I do not complain for the sake of complaining, but I give complements where it is due. I did not see even one completed house by this contractor, but he has committed to complete everything next month,” said Mabuza.

In January this year, Premier Mabuza gave ultimatums to contractors to build and complete all their housing projects by mid-March, however many of them had their contracts terminated due to failure in meeting the set deadline.

New contractors were later appointed to finish off all the houses in 100 days which were half-built while others were still at the foundation levels. With the help of the Premier’s RIU, there has been a remarkable progress not only in the completion of the outstanding houses but also with the public infrastructure.

Issued by Zibonele Mncwango
Spokesperson: Mpumalanga Premier
Mpumalanga Provincial Government
Tel: (013) 766 – 2453
Mobile: 079 491 0163
E-mail: zmncwango@mpg.gov.za

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