At the recent Branch Function in Gqeberha, held on 23 July, our President David Leukes advocated for innovation, collaboration, and enabling effective technical capacity to deal with challenges related to water infrastructure, water scarcity, and water quality across South Africa and in the Eastern Cape. He explained, “This requires critical attention – a situation that ideally should have been addressed proactively years ago. Leukes warned against the possibility of a “Day Zero” future for any town or city in the province.

He appealed to the industry and government to rebuild cities and towns across the Eastern Cape with a focus on sustainability and quality of infrastructure. Leukes added that CESA’s  members in Gqeberha have highlighted that the limited issuance of tenders for professional services has led to a shortage of available service providers. “This shortage forces smaller firms, vital to the local economy, to seek opportunities outside of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality, negatively impacting local businesses and the community’s overall economic health. Additionally, inefficiencies in the tender process, which can drag on for months or years, create uncertainty and hinder progress, while inflation’s impact on bid pricing further complicates matters.”

To overcome these challenges, he urged local government authorities to implement more efficient and transparent tender and supply chain processes to reduce delays and promote timely project execution. Increasing the number of tenders and creating opportunities for local service providers will ensure smaller businesses can contribute to and benefit from development in the city.

The CESA Gqeberha Branch Function was facilitated by MC, Itumeleng Sethlabane, a civil engineer at Lukhozi Consulting Engineers and Chairperson of CESA YPF Eastern Cape. Gustin Esau, CESA Gqeberha Branch Chairperson, delivered the welcome address; and Marlize Nel-Verwey, a Project Engineer at SANRAL, discussed “SANRAL’s Community Development Projects.” Our CEO, Chris Campbell, moderated the question and answer session and provided feedback on national issues and solutions in the infrastructure sector.