The Gauteng Provincial Government has launched a new technology solution set to revolutionise how it delivers the massive infrastructure projects under its management, worth over R30 billion.

The new nerve centre, to be known as Lutsinga Infrastructure House, is expected to be a game-changer and to ensure on-time delivery of projects and an end to inefficient monitoring and oversight, cost overruns, delays, corruption and wastage.

The infrastructure monitoring centre consists of an integrated service delivery dashboard that brings together updated information on construction and refurbishment projects for education infrastructure, maintenance projects on health infrastructure, participant and performance information on projects under the Expanded Public Works Programme, and a system for managing the recently completed Immovable Asset Register for all immovable public assets in Gauteng.

A live screen on the value and performance of public infrastructure has also been developed and will serve as a barometer of public assets in the province.

According to MEC Jacob Mamabolo, communities will be empowered to seek more accountability because they will have more direct access to the latest information on the planning, construction and maintenance of public schools, hospitals, clinics, community centres, heritage sites and recreational facilities in their localities.

The leadership of the province will also be able to make unannounced telephone calls to any project manager and get them to account for good or poor performance, delays or other challenges affecting the work they have been tasked to do, says Mamabolo.

Chairperson of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Infrastructure, Lindiwe Lasindwa, adds: “I am very excited about this launch. Our task as the oversight committee is to hold government to its word on the performance of its managers and officials in regards to the use of the public funds that have been put at their disposal. As of today, I will make unannounced visits to the Lutsinga Infrastructure House and obtain project information that we will compare with what the department reports to the legislature.”