Geagte Voorsitter, Openbare Werke en Infrastruktuur is 'n baie belangrike departement in Suid-Afrika en so ook in ander lande oor die wreld. Nie net is hierdie departement die bewaarder en bestuurder van die staat se onroerende bates nie, maar ook die skepper en instandhouer van Suid-Afrika se infrastruktuur.
Dit hou die ekonomie aan die gang deur toe te sien dat goedere plaaslik versprei word en verseker dat plaaslike inwoners toegang het tot paaie, brue, skole, water en vele ander dienste. Sonder die behoorlike onderhoud van infrastruktuur sal geen land se ekonomie
kan oorleef nie. Geen internasionale belegger sal geld in Suid- Afrika kom bel as die infrastruktuur nie opgeknap en in stand gehou word nie.
English:
Unfortunately, for the past 25 years, this government was so focussed on corruption and looting from the taxpayer and enforcing broad-based black economic empowerment, BBBEE, and affirmative action, that they completely forgot to maintain and manage the infrastructure of South-Africa. They did such a great job on this, that today we see the total collapse of infrastructure in Vereeniging where sewage is running into resident's homes, while in the Free State the road between Viljoenskroon and Parys is completely unfit for road users.
There are countless more cases across the country where infrastructure is collapsing. No wonder the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card for South-Africa that was issued by the SA Institution of Civil Engineering awarded an overall grade of D+ for public infrastructure of the Republic. D+ stands for "Risk of Failure". Our infrastructure is at a great risk of failure.
Another simple example of the government's incompetence is the building of houses and megacities on dolomite areas, as is the case with the Brickvale and Daggafontein developments in Gauteng. One morning we will all wake up and weep because hundreds of people had vanished overnight. This is a humanitarian crisis waiting to happen. Those developments must be stopped and cannot continue.
This department has spent over R1,6 billion over six years on upgrading the Telkom Towers building in Pretoria, but it is still not clear when the building will be occupied by the SAPS. The security alone on this building costs the taxpayer R500 000 per month. That's just to keep the building secure. What a waste of money!
This government is now responsible for its own downfall.
Afrikaans:
Hierdie regering is nie daar toe in staat om sy eie geboue in stand te hou nie en hy kyk baie sleg na sy eie bates. Di regering het reeds die burgers van die land totaal gefaal. Dankie.