MINISTER MACPHERSON DELIVERS EXECUTIVE STATEMENT ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTRUCTION ACTION PLAN

27 November 2025

Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Dean Macpherson addressed the National Assembly to outline the decisive reforms underway to stabilise and modernise South Africa’s public infrastructure and construction sector. The Minister said that the South African Construction Action Plan (SACAP), endorsed by all provinces and key industry bodies, now serves as the national framework guiding performance, accountability and delivery across the Public Works value chain.

Key interventions highlighted include:

• Strengthened accountability and the establishment of Restriction Committees to blacklist non-performing contractors.
• Cash-flow certainty through ring-fenced budgets and timely payments.
• Digital infrastructure tracking to provide real-time visibility of all Public Works projects nationwide.
• Procurement reform through War Rooms and faster, more transparent tender processes.
• Improved governance and real-time collaboration with the Auditor-General.
• Professionalisation of the built environment through compulsory registration of practitioners.

These reforms are already delivering tangible results. The Minister noted that 130,000 new jobs were created in the construction sector in Quarter 3 alone, alongside a significant decrease in construction-mafia site disruptions, with 250 arrests and 176 convictions to date. He further emphasised the importance of formalising Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) as an independent, well-resourced project-preparation entity to sustain a long-term national pipeline.

Providing an update on the work of Infrastructure South Africa (ISA), the Deputy Minister reported that:

The Minister stressed that turning ISA into an independent, well‑funded body is essential for creating a steady flow of national projects. He reaffirmed the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure’s dedication to faster construction, stronger oversight, and rebuilding public trust in the government’s ability to deliver high‑quality infrastructure.

Minister Macpherson emphasised that the Department is positioning itself as an economic delivery engine of the state - committed to restoring public trust through accountability and measurable delivery.