A massive and well-co-ordinated infrastructure investment programme involving both the public and the private sectors is required to transform the Gauteng region, without forgetting the conservation of scarce resources such as water.
According to Premier David Makhura, over the next four years the Gauteng provincial government’s total investment in infrastructure development will be more than R32-billion, while Gauteng municipalities will spend R94-billion over the next five years.
“This investment will have a massive multiplier effect on the economy of the Gauteng city region,” he said.
However, Makhura cautions that transformation, modernisation and re-industrialisation will not be possible without paying serious attention to the critical issue of energy security.
Six interventions have been made to broaden the energy mix and the province has been working with municipalities to finalise plans to bring in an additional 1 200 megawatts of electricity by increasing the generation capacity of coal-fired power stations in Tshwane and Johannesburg. Another intervention is the installation of rooftop solar panels on all government buildings.
“Our estimate is that we have available eight million square metres of rooftop space suitable for this, which will be able to generate 300 to 500 megawatts of electricity. We will also continue our energy efficiency programme, replacing existing lights in all our facilities and government buildings with LED lights. We have thus far replaced 45 000 lights in our health facilities and are also implementing the Tri-generation programme — technology that is able to produce electricity for heating and cooling using gas -— in six hospitals.
“We are implementing a programme to retrofit our coal-fired boilers with natural gas and [we are] initiating a waste to energy programme, aimed at converting waste from our facilities into biogas.”
Solar is also a major part of the province’s agenda and it is currently supporting an initiative by the University of Johannesburg and the private sector to build a manufacturing plant and a solar plant in Gauteng. This R7-billion project will supply 500 megawatts of solar energy and will create more than 15 000 direct and indirect jobs.
“We have to take every step to ensure we power the massive industrial, human settlements and public transport developments that we envisage,” said Makhura.
Gauteng’s goal of being a smart province means a sound information and communication technology (ICT) strategy, and Makhura underlined the importance of investing in ICT infrastructure and e-government services, with the government’s investment in ICT said to be more than R300-million over the next three years.
“We will also work with private sector network companies to discuss how we can fast-track our goal of 100% connectivity over the next five years and unleash the potential of the local ICT industry to promote SMME development and township revitalisation, and extend ICT connectivity to public schools to facilitate e-learning.
“As we implement our ICT strategy, we will ensure that we create new local industries across the ICT value chain, including industries for device manufacturing, maintenance, repairs, creation of new applications and the provision of services in the ICT sectors.”
Every precious drop
Recent water supply interruptions have raised concerns, particularly with South Africa considered a water-scarce country.
“Water scarcity can serve as a major stumbling block to the achievement of transformation goals, and we are working with national government and municipalities on water security and infrastructure development,” said Makhura.
“We have established a water and sanitation co-ordinating forum, which will enable us to rapidly develop and implement a city region-wide plan on water and security, including the urgent need to find a solution to the problem of acid mine drainage.
“We will also focus on encouraging rainwater harvesting in households, government and business premises, and eradicating water leakages through focusing on infrastructure maintenance; and public awareness campaigns to encourage responsible water usage will be upscaled.”
Ten Pillar vision
The core mandate of Gauteng province’s administration is based upon 10 pillars, which Premier David Makhura reiterated during his State of the Province address. These, he explained, are critical to “the plans related to the work we will do over the next four years to transform, modernise and re-industrialise this beautiful and resilient province”.
The 10 pillars are:
– Radical economic transformation;
– Decisive spatial transformation;
– Accelerating social transformation;
– Transformation of the state and governance;
– Modernisation of the economy;
– Modernisation of the public service and the state;
– Modernisation of human settlements and urban development;
– Modernisation of public transport and other infrastructure;
– Re-industrialising Gauteng as the country’s economic hub; and
– Taking the lead in Africa’s new industrial revolution.
Makhura said: “These 10 pillars constitute a vehicle through which we seek to build a seamlessly integrated, socially cohesive, economically inclusive city region — a leading economy on the African continent with smart, innovation-driven, knowledge-based and sustainable industries and an accountable, responsive, transparent and clean government as well as an active citizenry. This is our vision.”