Infrastructure is high priority

Gauteng is fast-tracking the

roll-out of infrastructure

programmes across the

province.

According to Mbangwa Xaba,

spokesman for the Gauteng

department of infrastructure

development (GDID), there is

renewed vigour in delivering

infrastructure in line with the goals

of the National Development Plan.

“Infrastructure is a key priority

for local government which hosted

the first Gauteng Infrastructure

Investment conference (GIIC) this

year. This event, which will take

place annually from now on, focuses

attention on the development and

upliftment of the province and its

infrastructural components,” he said.

Gauteng has taken an approach

that will see the five different

corridors in the province developed

through spatial reconfiguration,

the revitalisation of township

economies as well as major

investments into infrastructure.

“This will be done hand in

hand with the private sector,” said

Xaba. “The fact is the public and

private sector – along with local

municipalities – are all going to

have to work together to reach

the goals set for the province.

Several flagship projects have

been earmarked and are receiving

attention, one of which is the

rejuvenation of the inner city.”

He said this priority was not only

about arresting any further urban

decay but also about enhancing the

economic value of the city.

The inner city forms part of

the central development corridor

that is being established as the

hub of finance, services, ICT and

pharmaceutical industries.

The Eastern development

corridor comprising the Ekurhuleni

Metro has been identified as the

hub of manufacturing, logistics

and transport industries, while the

Northern development corridor,

anchored around Tshwane, will

incorporate the automotive sector,

research, development, innovation

and the knowledge-based economy.

Plans are afoot to create new

industries, new economic nodes and

new cities around the Western and

Southern corridors.

Xaba said there was a real

understanding within government

structures of the huge investment

required to achieve the vision

of transforming Gauteng into a

globally economic, competitive

region, making it necessary for the

public and private sector to work

together as the benefits would be

felt all round.

Furthermore, the provincial

government has also put in

place various

mechanisms

to raise and

coordinate

alternative funding

for strategic

infrastructure

projects.

Chief

amongst these

mechanisms

is the Gauteng

Infrastructure

Financing

Agency (GIFA),

which will play

an active role in

priority economic

sectors like

manufacturing,

real estate,

transport and

logistics, green

economy and

energy.