Gauteng health goes green

The Gauteng department of infrastructure development will install rooftop solar panels at 16 health facilities in the province in the current financial year, before taking the project to schools the following year.

This was announced by MEC for infrastructure development Jacob Mamabolo during an economic cluster media briefing in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

The panels have already been installed on some government buildings. The MEC said solar energy would play a central role as the province was ultimately aiming to disconnect from the national power grid.

In addition to the R30 billion invested in infrastructure between 2013 and 2016, a further R42 billion would be spent over the next three years on infrastructure development, he said.

“This is projected to lead to around 190 000 direct and 140 000 indirect, or induced, jobs for the province,” said Mamabolo.

Infrastructure development was at the heart of the government’s programme to create sustainable jobs and re-engineer the spatial layout of a post-apartheid Gauteng.

“Key to this noble and achievable task, the Gauteng department of infrastructure development has developed a new paradigm for the way it delivers social infrastructure like clinics, hospitals, schools, libraries and recreational centres,” Mamabolo said.

Land had been identified for a “precinct model” of high-impact infrastructure development.

Investigations over the next few months would establish detailed land ownership and potential land use opportunities.

A highly skilled maintenance crack team had been established to swiftly respond to maintenance issues at health facilities in the Gauteng city region.

To this end, after identifying the need for additional staff to do maintenance, an in-house training academy for artisans was being constructed in Westhoven.

The training academy would also be used to upgrade the skills of the extended public works programme beneficiaries, who would work on infrastructure maintenance and be enabled to compete in the job market and to start their own businesses.

Meanwhile, cooperative governance and traditional affairs MEC Paul Mashatile announced R49 billion in investment had been committed for the mega-city projects. A mega-city project yields no fewer than 15 000 units, either as an existing development cluster or new nodal development projects.

The department was to organise a one-day human settlements funding summit as a platform to discuss funding mechanisms, forge partnerships and provide an opportunity for investors.