3 February 2026: Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) has warned that South Africa is facing a deepening national infrastructure maintenance crisis, driven by years of underinvestment, reactive asset management and a growing shortage of engineering skills. CESA hopes that this issue will receive clear and decisive attention during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address.

Speaking in Sandton at the organisation’s annual media address, and ahead of his first year as President of the organisation, CESA President Dr. Vishal Haripersad said the country’s infrastructure challenges are no longer abstract policy concerns but are being felt daily by citizens, businesses and government alike. “What we are facing should be recognised for what it is: a national infrastructure maintenance crisis,” Dr. Haripersad said.

While government’s commitment to invest more than R1 trillion in public infrastructure over the next three years is welcomed, Dr. Haripersad cautioned that funding alone will not reverse the decline unless long-standing structural issues are addressed.

The consequences of underinvestment are evident in the growing maintenance backlog across public infrastructure. He noted that many local and provincial authorities continue to manage assets reactively, responding only once systems fail.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PRESS RELEASE

DOWNLOAD THE FULL PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS