Eskom’s outgoing finance director, Paul O’Flaherty recently raised his concerns at the state of the construction industry following delays with the Medupi power plant project.

The South African Federation of Civil Engineering Contractors (Safcec) President Norman Milne, disagrees with his statements pointing out that this was the same industry that successfully delivered the 2010 world cup stadia and associated infrastructure which were instrumental in South Africa hosting a world class tournament.

He agreed that the industry is facing some challenges regarding skills. However it was difficult to anticipate the training required in the typical “feast or famine” cycle that has prevailed in the construction industry for many years. “If contractors can see a sustainable pipeline of projects they will be more than willing to incur the cost of training now as an investment for the future” he said.

“The current status of the Medupi project is unfortunate, but is not a true representation of the South Africa’s construction industry. Eskom engaged with the civil engineering industry prior to Medupi commencing to agree on the processes needed for successful project delivery. Unfortunately events overtook the best intentions of the parties and construction of Medupi had to start to urgently address the power crisis.

“This is the first power station to be built in South Africa in 22 years” he said, “so it can be expected that both the employer and the contractor will go through a significant learning curve.  We must ensure that these skills are not lost once the project is completed.”

Safcec recently published a report which reveals insight into the state of the industry, its challenges, solutions and foresight for 2014. Although the Industry continues to be challenged, the State of Industry Report, starts to paint a picture of promising growth.

Safcec also launched the national Bargaining Council for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) in June 2013. BCCEI will work in close collaboration with the National Union of Mineworkers and the Building Construction and Allied Workers Union to achieve a balance of serving both the business as well as the labour needs with commitment, fairness and integrity.