Engineering is the face of infrastructure services delivery.
This means that it’s only engineers who can make appropriate service delivery happen.
Although the primary purpose of government departments, public entities and local governments is to efficiently deliver, operate and maintain public infrastructure, this is not happening.
Globally, the state of a nation’s infrastructure provides one of the best indicators of its prosperity likelihood. A country that ignores engineering does so at its peril.
To address the risk of essential services infrastructure collapsing, suitably qualified, competent, experienced, professionally registered engineers should be appointed in positions of decision-making across all tiers of government and State Owned Entities (SOEs), to execute projects.
They need to execute those project without the interference of politicians, legal and financial professionals, and others, which is currently the situation.
Then essential infrastructure services will be delivered on time, within budget and according to set world-class standards, which is presently not happening.
The lack of engineering expertise across government institutions is directly linked to a South Africa covered in potholes, failing sewer systems, lack of or inadequate and interrupted water provision, not even mentioning the Eskom situation.
The fact is that a majority of municipalities are dysfunctional and operating without even a single engineering professional in a highly technical environment.
Engineering should be at the forefront and not on the backburner of infrastructure development.
The industry is not at the decision-making table where future large projects are discussed. Without professional engineering input, projects will fail. The effect on the engineering industry is devastating and the impact on communities without appropriate services, untenable.
Government has not been able to put the necessary systems/engineers in place to ensure adequate infrastructure services delivery to avoid violent protests.
South Africa has Chapter 9-institutions to guard the democracy. However, an omission occurred when the engineering profession was the only profession not represented in one of the institutions, while it is, in fact, the key, solution-driven profession for economic growth, and which could address social development challenges in South Africa.
The establishment of an Office of Engineer-General (E-G), as a Chapter 9-institution, could provide better governance and accountability for the successful implementation of service delivery and public infrastructure projects.
This is a prerequisite for government to fulfil its mandate to provide in the basic Human Rights needs of all its people.
EngineerGeneral will proactively prevent political and other interference, by ensuring that suitably- qualified, experienced, professionally registered engineering practitioners are appointed in technical, engineering posts across all infrastructure departments, municipalities, SoEs.
The E-G will ensure that tender processes are run by these engineers according to engineering standards and principles, not by some non-technical person who is unable to grasp the enormity of engineering knowledge required to make decisions on infrastructure projects.
If wrong decisions are taken at this stage, it leads to incomplete projects, excessively increased costs and communities dissatisfied with the outcomes.
The present procurement system does the engineering industry no favour. The ideal is for quality, functionality, qualifications and technical merit to be added to the total points when tenders are awarded, especially those in consulting and built environment services.
All closed tenders for engineering consultancy assignments not exceeding R6-miilion should also adhere to international best practice.
Engineers should be put where they belong.
In SA’s Health system, qualified medical practitioners occupy the positions of Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, Minister, Deputy Minister, a Director-General, HoDs in the nine provinces and two MECs, Limpopo and Gauteng.
This approach pays dividends as seen in the way healthcare is tackling Covid-19.
The exact same principle should apply to engineering services, competent, suitably qualified, professionally registered engineers should be Minister and Deputy Minister, D-Gs, DDGs, etc. of infrastructure delivery portfolios.
This should be the norm in the Department of Human Settlements and Water and Sanitation, Department of Public Works and Infrastructure, Department of Transport — applicable to all infrastructure-related departments, municipalities and SoEs responsible for essential services delivery infrastructure, i.e. water, sanitation, roads, buildings, etc.
It is therefore incomprehensible and concerning that these departments are headed by unsuitably qualified politicians and officials.
Political survival depends on the engineers as election promises are primarily infrastructure-related, which can only be delivered by engineers. Political will is key to avert a collapse of the public infrastructure system, while engineering leadership, especially in politics, is not negotiable.
Government should develop a favourable environment by improving regulation to enable engineers to drive growth and infrastructure development in South Africa, which would result in a better life for all.
The public should ask, ”Why are the engineers in the engineering profession not at the forefront of services infrastructure delivery in our country?”
Marie Ashpole and Godfrey Ramalisa
(The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the authors and not any organisation(s) the individuals are affiliated to).
The Star