BONGANI MTHOMBENI: Leadership and accountability crucial for SA’s infrastructure revival

The 2025 budget speech delivered by finance minister Enoch Godongwana reaffirmed the government’s commitment to infrastructure investment, with an enormous R1.03-trillion allocated over the next three years. Key allocations include R402bn for transport and logistics, R219.2bn for energy infrastructure and R156.3bn for water and sanitation.

While these numbers may seem promising, history has shown that budget allocations alone do not translate into real-world progress. Without strong leadership, strict accountability and a well-defined master plan, even the most generous infrastructure budgets risk being wasted on inefficiency, mismanagement and corruption. 

SA’s infrastructure crisis has never been about a lack of funding — it has been about ineffective leadership and poor execution. The budget has repeatedly allocated huge sums to infrastructure, yet citizens continue to face crumbling roads, water shortages and unreliable electricity. The issue is not just about policy formulation but about enforcing implementation and ensuring approved projects are completed on time, within budget and with measurable effect. 

The latest budget outlines public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a crucial mechanism for infrastructure delivery, with new regulations set to take effect on June 1 to streamline private sector participation. However, these partnerships will only succeed if leaders take firm control, ensuring transparency, effective contract management and rigorous oversight of deliverables. 

A fundamental shift is needed, away from reactive, short-term infrastructure fixes to a long-term, strategic approach. We need integrated, phased upgrades rather than a cycle of emergency repairs and crisis-driven spending. For example, the persistent issue of non-revenue water — where leaks and maintenance failures lead to severe wastage — cannot be addressed with ad hoc interventions. A structured, phased investment plan must be implemented, prioritising systematic upgrades and preventive maintenance.

SA has seen instances where infrastructure development occurs only in response to high-profile events, such as road improvements ahead of the Group of 20 summit, rather than being part of a consistent, long-term strategy. Such an approach is unsustainable and ultimately leads to infrastructure decay. Instead, the budget should emphasise funding long-term maintenance and systemic improvements that allow for emergency fixes, rather than short-lived, high-visibility projects. 

Budget allocations are meaningless without mechanisms to ensure funds are spent effectively and that those responsible for failure face consequences. The 2025 budget speech made a commitment to stricter oversight, including real-time audits of procurement processes and the implementation of performance-based conditional grants. This is encouraging, but enforcement is key. 

The failure of previous large-scale projects due to corruption and mismanagement underscores the need for independent oversight. The newly proposed performance-based grants must be accompanied by stringent monitoring, public reporting of milestones and legal repercussions for misappropriation of funds. The public deserves to see visible progress, not just financial commitments.

While new infrastructure investments are essential, SA cannot afford to keep expanding while neglecting its existing assets. The R100bn allocated to the SA National Roads Agency for road maintenance and the R19.2bn for the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) to upgrade railway signalling systems, are much-needed interventions. However, the challenge remains to ensure these funds result in tangible improvements by strictly adhering to procurement processes. 

The minister acknowledged that Prasa’s procurement processes need improvement. This creates uncertainty that the budget allocation will be used as intended. A shift towards proactive maintenance over emergency repairs is imperative. SA must prioritise upgrading water infrastructure to reduce non-revenue water losses, ensure sustainable energy transmission and implement digital monitoring systems to prevent infrastructure decay. 

For too long SA’s infrastructure development has been about budget announcements rather than actual improvements. The 2025 budget offers another opportunity to change this narrative. However, its success will depend on whether leadership can drive execution, accountability mechanisms can be enforced and a clear master plan can guide spending towards long term, sustainable infrastructure solutions. 

The public must demand not just budget allocations, but measurable outcomes. Infrastructure is not just about economic growth; it is about quality of life, social stability and national progress. This budget should mark a turning point, but only if leadership turns promises into action. 

• Mthombeni is SA executive director at Royal HaskoningDHV.