Public works project delays 'hampering economic growth'

Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson says delayed projects in his department are hampering economic growth.

- Jarryd Westerdale

The minister has been touring the country to assess the department's work and relayed his findings in parliament on Thursday.

He rolled off a host of numbers but stressed that each represented a failed opportunity to move the country forward.

Macpherson identified 206 infrastructure projects undertaken by the department, of which 164 were experiencing delays of some kind.

This 79.6% stagnation rate includes R1.3 billion spent in this financial year on projects that have not been completed, with that number escalating to R2.9 billion over several financial years.

The most expensive example is the Telkom Towers in Tshwane, which has seen R1 billion spent over 10 years.

The building was meant to be converted into offices for the police, but remains empty.