South Africa faces an urgent need for investment in critical infrastructure maintenance, with warnings that neglect is undermining service delivery across the country.
Sue Bannister, National Planning Commissioner, said poor maintenance practices are a major obstacle to effective public services and called for sustained funding in Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s upcoming Budget Speech on Wednesday.
Speaking from a local government perspective, Bannister stressed that infrastructure development cannot end with construction. “We need to make sure that when we build infrastructure, that’s not the end. The end should be a series of maintenance contracts, where we shift from a more reactive to proactive asset management,” she said.
Bannister noted that a culture of repairing infrastructure only after it fails is far more expensive, and highlighted the need to prioritise energy and logistics networks, which she described as “binding constraints on our job creation.” She also emphasised the importance of building municipal and broader government capacity to manage and maintain these assets effectively.
The commissioner called for investment in human capital, including the training of artisans, engineers and project managers, to improve execution.
“So, we don’t lack the plans. We lack execution excellence. The next four years are going to be a test of how planning translates into something the citizens can feel,” Bannister said.
Government officials say the budget will provide insight into how these maintenance and capacity-building priorities will be addressed to support long-term service delivery and economic growth.