The South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE) has applauded and embraced President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inaugural State of the Nation (SONA) address after the newly elected president highlighted the importance of the sector for the economy.

According to the institution the president understands the importance of infrastructure and the role that civil engineering and construction play in advancing socio-economic growth in South Africa.

New projects vs maintenance

During his speech the president noted that he would set up a team to speed up the implementation of new infrastructure projects as they were taking too long to get off the ground.

While the establishment of an infrastructure investment team to speed up implementation of new projects for water infrastructure, road maintenance and health facilities is encouraging, Manglin Pillay, CEO of SAICE, noted that it would be great if maintenance of existing water and health facilities could be included here.

“SAICE volunteers to assist with one or more of the commissions to make sure that this comes to fruition,” he added.

Challenge accepted

Errol Kerst, 2018 president of SAICE commented: “We are encouraged by the president’s indication of the revivial of the manufacturing sector and support of black industrialists, as this can only lead to job creation and ultimately wealth creation.”

In his presidential address delivered in November last year, Kerst paraphrased the late American President John F Kennedy: The new frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises; it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the SAICE membership during my year in office, but what I intend to ask of the members. “SAICE accepts the challenges presented by President Ramaphosa,”he concluded.