Public Works imbizos deliver major gains in KwaZulu-Natal

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12-12-2025
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The Witness
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Launched in June this year, the Contractors' Imbizo saw Public Works and Infrastructure Development MEC Martin Meyer travel across the province to engage with hundreds of emerging and established contractors.

KwaZulu-Natal’s public infrastructure projects have run without disruptions from criminal construction groups for more than a year — an achievement the provincial Public Works and Infrastructure Department attributed to its province-wide Contractors’ Imbizo.

Launched in June this year, the Contractors’ Imbizo saw Public Works and Infrastructure Development MEC Martin Meyer travel across the province to engage with hundreds of emerging and established contractors.

The programme created a platform for contractors to interact directly with departmental officials, financial institutions and industry specialists to resolve long-standing obstacles in the construction sector.

“The imbizo represents a renewed drive to rebuild confidence, improve service delivery and ensure that KwaZulu-Natal’s infrastructure projects are delivered efficiently, transparently and responsibly,” Meyer said.

During Meyer’s tour, contractors were equipped with information on supply chain processes, tender documentation, SARS compliance, project awards, contractor grading, payments and funding opportunities.

According to departmental spokesperson Steve Bhengu, the programme was established in response to persistent grievances over project disruptions by illegal construction forums, delayed payments and bureaucratic bottlenecks that had impeded sector growth for years.

One of the standout features of the initiative was the Property Management Conference hosted at the Durban ICC, which drew more than 500 delegates from across the continent and produced a series of policy and programme proposals aimed at strengthening property and infrastructure management.

The department said the impact of the imbizos has been significant.

Apart from ending the invasion of project sites by business-mafia forums, the imbizo’s key achievements include unblocking projects worth more than R1 billion, verifying more than 10 000 assets, paying 855 contractors who had been awaiting invoices since July 2024, and releasing 108 properties for public benefit.

“The final segment of this province-wide initiative was held today [yesterday] in Estcourt, in the Midlands, marking the conclusion of a highly impactful six-month engagement process,” Bhengu said.