Many Respond To Invitation by the Minister of Public Works

Earlier this year, Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, the national Minister of  the Public Works Department in a series of media advertisements invited retired, unemployed and not-yet qualified Engineers and Artisans to submit their CV`s to the Department. The initiative was clearly intended to create a data base of Engineers and Artisans so that they can be utilised to assist the Department to deliver on its infrastructure development mandate, as well as contributing to job creation and a sustainable pipeline to the future.

Speaking in Durban, on 8 April 2011, after a meeting with the provincial MECs responsible for public works, she indicated that more than 9 000 unemployed or retired artisans, quantity surveyors and engineers responded to the call to register with the Department. She indicated that some projects in the department would be done in-house using the expertise of its professional services unit. The aim was to use the department`s own professionals in some of its projects.

National Public Works Department acting director-general Sam Vukele said the artisans and quantity surveyors would be brought on board in various ways, including in the rehabilitation of unused buildings and assisting in state workshops. Currently, the Department is involved in a number of projects, including eight schools in the Eastern Cape, two in the North West province, the fixing of potholes in roads and the maintenance of 12 fishing harbours.

In releasing this information, the Minister also announced the launch "Operation Bring Back" of assets belonging to the state in the form of an amnesty to those who illegally have possession to return such assets. The object was to complete the state`s asset register.

Sasa Subban, the deputy director-general for asset investment management at the department said that the idea behind the operation " was that we can close the debate that we do not have all the assets registered ".Currently, the state`s asset register includes 75 000 properties and 35 368 parcels of land.

Pieter Rautenbach